


Secret Lover

by bexara



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Drama, Humor, M/M, Mystery, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 08:06:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1091573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexara/pseuds/bexara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kise is an undercover agent investigating the disappearances of four women and is forced to cross dress for his work, Kuroko is his shadowy boss, Aomine is an earl, a father, a spy, and a pervert, and Kagami is a good guy with a temper who just happens to fall for his jerk of a step-cousin and a man he thinks is actually a woman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, here is something I have been working on forever and I posted as a Christmas present for my 1500+ tumblr followers, and it’s a doozy - over 31,000 words. It’s an AU, sort of a fantasy but not really, kind of set in an era something like the 1800’s but, again, not really. I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Comments are love. Because it is so long, I have broken it up into several chapters.

The crowd at the Ironheart Boxing Club surrounded the ring, watching the two men sparring up on the platform with avid interest. The larger, beefier man swung hard at his slimmer, shorter opponent.  
  
“Not the face, Nebuya!” one of the spectators cried out as a giant fist came perilously close to the blond’s nose.  
  
“Shit! Tell  _him_ that, Moriyama,” the fighter known as Nebuya Eikichi yelled back as his sparring partner easily evaded the punch, instead dancing under Nebuya’s outstretched arm to land a quick blow to his nose, followed by a sharp uppercut that sent the big man lurching back several paces. The exact move Nebuya had been attempting, a perfect copy.  
  
“Ah, right,” Moriyama Yoshitaka answered, wincing slightly at the meaty sound of leather striking flesh.  
  
Blood bubbled from Nebuya’s nose. A swift jab to his midsection sent the big man doubling over in pain.   
  
Moriyama’s friend, Kobori, whistled softly through his teeth.  
  
“Unbelievable. I certainly wouldn’t believe this if my eyes weren’t watching it happen right in front of me. The champion Nebuya Eikichi losing soundly to such a young guy, and one so … so…”  
  
“So  _pretty_ ,” Moriyama’s lips twitched as he finished Kobori’s sentence for him.  
  
Kobori nodded, then grimaced as the young man landed a ringing blow to Nebuya’s head that sent the champion falling dazedly to his knees. It was quite clear Nebuya was in no shape to continue, which lost Kobori the several gold pieces he had foolishly wagered when he had seen the slender, and well  _pretty_ , young man step into the ring.   
  
In truth, pretty was too tame a word to describe the man’s finely chiseled, almost delicate features. Silky, lustrous hair, the color of burnished gold, framed the slightly pointed face. Eyes just as fair, just as golden were surrounded by lashes too thick and too long for a man. Full, generous lips grinned widely and a small earring, giving him a rakish air, adorned his left ear. His skin was smooth and lit by an inner glow that countless ladies of the upper class would kill to possess _._ Only the young man’s height, just an inch shorter than Nebuya’s 6’3”, and a slender yet muscular, masculine frame saved him from being labeled feminine. Indeed, had he been a woman, no doubt he would have been quickly named one of the greatest beauties of his time.  
  
Kobori was just about to inquire as to the young man’s identity, when another, shorter gentleman appeared. He nearly jumped out of his seat because it was like the fellow just manifested out of nowhere. Kobori considered himself a pretty observant guy, so not even seeing the man approach shook him. The blonde young man, on the other hand, glanced down and his smile grew even brighter.

“Kurokocchi!” the young man spoke happily, and even the sweet contralto of his voice matched his appearance. “I’m so happy to see you … wait,” the joy on his face quickly morphed into disgruntlement when he noticed the expression the other man wore. “Dammit, no, I don’t want to! I just got back! I haven’t even had the chance to play or flirt or meet with my friends, including you!” He was pouting, but even that looked good on him.  
  
“A travesty to be sure, Kise,” the smaller man said dryly. His wide blue eyes surveyed the scene in front of him with mild amusement, though his face remained passive.  
  
Kobori was curious, his curse, but Moriyama pulled him away before he could hear more.  
  
“You should avoid Kuroko Tetsuya,” Moriyama whispered cautiously, nodding to the impeccably dressed, pale-haired young man.  
  
“Why?” Kobori glanced back at the man who looked unassuming enough.  
  
“Never mind that. Come, and I will take you to see the new opera by Midorima Shintarou. The beautiful Aida Riko is in it and she even has one scene in nothing but a negligée! Her breasts may be small but her adorable face and slim body make up for it!” His eyes got that misty look he always had when he talked about women.  
  
Well, Kobori had nothing against beautiful women. He smiled and he forgot all about the two men behind him, following Moriyama out of the boxing salon with tempered excitement.   
  
“It is a  _horrible_ tragedy,” Kise Ryouta replied dramatically to Kuroko’s deadpanned statement, tossing his gloves to the nearby attendant in exasperation as he exited the ring.  
  
He stomped over to an empty corner of the room, knowing Kuroko would follow him. The conversation they were about to have was one not suitable for the ears of the other patrons.   
  
“It hasn’t even been a week since I returned to Kaijo from that horrible, depressing Yosen,” he hissed in a low voice. “Do you know what it’s like to be surrounded by the smell of sweets twenty-four hours a day? I never want to eat another piece of candy or pastry again.”

Only Kise could get away with calling the quiet, cunning Kuroko Tetsuya by a nickname. Well, that’s just how he was. Once he recognized someone as strong or worthy of his respect, he added that little suffix to their name.  
  
Kuroko replied easily, “Well then, lucky for you your newest assignment is just a day’s ride away, in Touou.”  
  
“Never heard of the stupid place,” Kise groused, wondering if he could somehow slip away from Kuroko before he gave in. His shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily. It would never happen. He could never say no to his old, childhood friend.  
  
Kuroko Tetsuya was an attractive, calm man, shorter than Kise but ten times as dangerous. His mild visage hid the identity of one of the most powerful men in all of Teiko, the country encompassing Kise’s own Kaijo. Though the truth of that was known only to a small handful of men. Kuroko was the shadowy, right-hand man to none other than Emperor Akashi himself. Under the Emperor’s orders, Kuroko ran a tight-knit network of spies, assassins, and other unsavory characters unknown to the general population. Among themselves, they called their little group the Miracle Generation because of their amazing ability to successfully complete any assignment, no matter how hard or impossible or deadly. Their missions varied, but their purpose united them: to protect emperor and country from threats both domestic and foreign.   
  
“Touou is home to Earl Aomine Daiki.”  
  
“Don’t know him,” Kise wrinkled his nose, “and anyway, why not give the mission to Nijimura or Haizaki? They have been out of commission for a while and I am sure they are itching to get back into the thick of things.”  
  
“Neither Nijimura-kun nor Haizaki-kun have your … particular talents,” Kuroko stated meaningfully, “and this assignment calls for those talents.”  
  
Kise’s eyes widened and then he scowled fiercely. Even when it was Kuroko asking, he still didn’t like dressing up as a woman!

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
Sakurai Ryou, steward to Earl Aomine, stared at the young woman sitting across from him and swallowed hard.   
  
Though her posture was stiff and proper, and the drab gray of her unfashionably high-necked gown covered every inch of flesh except for slender, smooth hands, the woman was stunning. The brilliant hue of her honey-brown eyes dazzled in the early morning light. Her complexion was flawless, rendered even more beautiful by the silken strands of sunshine falling softly around her face. Though she was tall for a woman, taller than himself, and her curves were nearly indiscernible in her stiff gown, her face alone could move even the stodgiest, grouchiest of old men to poetry.  
  
He realized he was staring again and cleared his throat, forcing his gaze to the paper in hand.  
  
“Well, then, Miss … Kise is it? I see here you come highly recommended from Teiko Academy, the best university in the whole country. However, if you do not mind my saying so, you appear somewhat young for the task at hand.”  
  
“I am twenty-five, Mr. Sakurai. Considered quite old and unmarriable by my poor, beleaguered mother.”  
  
Kise’s voice was surprisingly musical with a sweet resonance that would surely charm the collar right off of a priest. Sakurai himself was not immune, and had to wipe his suddenly sweaty palms surreptitiously on the legs of his trousers.   
  
Sakurai had the uneasy thought that, though Kise’s slender frame was quite the opposite of the voluptuous figures the master usually sought for his dalliances, her exquisite face and glorious blond hair would certainly draw the Earl’s eye anyway. The vision of this splendid creature finding herself ruined at the hands of Aomine Daiki caused Sakurai to act out of character then, and he quickly peered around, knowing there was no one there to hear him but looking anyway. Working for Aomine did that to a person.  
  
“Miss Kise, with your experience and excellent references, you could find a position anywhere,” he said and laughed, though it was a nervous, apologetic sound. “Our country town of Touou is far removed from the delights and excitement of the city. And the Earl might be a …  _difficult_ taskmaster for such a, a sweet young lady as yourself.”  
  
“You needn’t pretty it up for me, Mr. Sakurai. The Earl’s reputation has preceded him all the way to Kaijo. I know he’s a perverted, arrogant bastard of a man.”  
  
Kise had to refrain from rolling his eyes at the steward’s attempt to gently warn him away. If only the man knew it was completely unnecessary.  
  
“Though I am most appreciative of your concern, I assure you I am fundamentally uninterested in any extra ...  _duties_ the Earl might wish to impose upon me.”  
  
Snorting to himself, Kise thought that was putting it mildly to say the least. He certainly was in no danger of falling prey to Lord Aomine’s wicked advances. He took a deep breath to keep from snickering, and then wished he hadn’t as the corset under his dress bit deeply into his flesh.  _Dammit all!_ He absolutely hated the stupid things, he thought darkly, and resisted the urge to squirm in his seat. He cursed the mission, the Miracle Generation, Kuroko (though he couldn’t stay mad at the other man for long) and most especially this damnable face he had been born with for placing him in his current, unwanted situation.  
  
Indeed, even as a child, his beautiful androgynous features had been the bane of his existence. Mistaken for a girl, teased and bullied by the other boys, he had turned to the manliest pursuits he could find to prove his manhood. Fencing, boxing, hunting, archery, horses, pistols, sports of all sorts, including the one that was all the rage now, basketball – he threw himself into the activities and had excelled at them all, easily outpacing every other boy his age. Even after he grew into his height, no longer small and cute, these skills came in handy.  
  
As the third child of a merchant, he had known only two options awaited him when he reached adulthood: the church or the military. There was only one, obvious choice. He was much too pretty to waste rotting away in some musty old church. Kise might not like his face all that much, but it had given him certain benefits over the years. No, it had been the militia for him. 

Kise quickly distinguished himself in the Winter War. He was quick, agile, and adept at mimicking any accent, any mannerism he saw, and that let him pass undetected behind enemy lines. He also learned how to fight mean and dirty, his appearance making him the target of every profligate and pederast in his regiment.   
  
His skill on the battlefield, keen intelligence, and ability to think quickly on his feet had soon brought him back to the attention of his old friend, Kuroko Tetsuya. Weary of all the blood and death, as well as constantly having to guard his ass, Kise had jumped at the man’s offer to come back home. What an idiot he had been! Lured in by wide eyes and soft words and a smile only Kise and a few others had ever seen.  
  
He had just settled in to the ranks of Kuroko’s shadowy network when word had come down from Akashi that it was a shame for Kise not to use his natural gifts in service to his country. Of course, he had been referring to Kise's looks. And it had been an order. Thus, his first foray into the world of silk underthings, slippers, and dresses had been established. Akashi even went so far as to elicit help from a famous courtesan, whose name was known even to Kise. Apparently, she was one of their leader’s trusted confidants  _and_ spies. She had taught Kise how to talk, act, and think like a woman. In addition, quite against his will, he was schooled in the arts of feminine seduction. He had so  _not_ wanted to learn how to use his fingers, lips, and tongue as weapons to seduce secrets and information out of another man. If he wasn’t so scared of Akashi’s piercing, red-gold gaze and the power he wielded, Kise would have told him where to stick it.  
  
In the field, the first time he had used those skills, he had thrown up violently afterward. Kuroko had held him, gently wiping his mouth and patting his back. There had a sad look in his blue eyes, and Kise understood his friend hated asking him to go this far, but they both knew he had to, for the safety of his country, for the protection of her people. He didn’t truly blame Kuroko, and he never would.

Now, four years later, he was able to handle such distasteful but necessary acts with pragmatism. He couldn’t let it get to him,  _wouldn’t_  let it, and he made sure to smile all the wider, laugh all the harder when he wasn’t working. He often got called an airhead or dumb blond because of that, but he just let the insults roll off his back.

His current task at hand, which called for him to don women’s clothing yet again, was to investigate the disappearances of four young women who had vanished over the space of a year. Each had gone missing in and around Touou, and every one of them had been maids or nanny’s or other members of the serving class. And, to a one, they had all been exceptionally attractive.

Kuroko’s idea to send Kise in disguised as a woman, also of the serving class, served two purposes. First, Kise was to investigate the disappearances. Second, if necessary, his attractive features could allow him to become bait to lure out whoever was behind the crimes. He had just needed to find a position somewhere in the town. It so happened that Lord Aomine Daiki had been in need of a governess for his young daughter. The timing could not have been more perfect. Kise was suspicious of just how  _convenient_ it had been. Kuroko had been silent, however, merely handing him his papers and sending him on his way. Only the devil knew how Kuroko managed to secure references for him, but he had long given up underestimating the man.

Kise had managed to get one bit of information out of his superior before he left. He had wondered why the long arm of the Emperor had become involved in such a low profile case. Kuroko had informed him that one of the missing women was not only lady’s maid to the wife of Touou’s mayor but also, in fact, a distant relative of Emperor Akashi’s own mother. Rather than a sense of familial affection, Kise secretly figured Akashi simply couldn’t let such an affront to his person go unanswered.

Kise noticed Sakurai staring at him quizzically, and it brought him back to the present. The steward must have spoken again. He swore silently at himself. Now wasn’t the time for woolgathering, he had a job to do.

“My apologies, Mr. Sakurai, but I did not—.”

The rest of his sentence was cut off when the door to the office flew open with a bang.

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kise turned in his seat in surprise.

“Sakurai, I need to speak with you,” a red-haired young man barged in and slammed the door behind him, only to draw up when he finally noticed Sakurai was not alone. 

A dull flush stained the man’s cheeks.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t know you had company.”

Sakurai swallowed hard and stood up. No matter how often he dealt with this man, he still got nervous. Though not as freaked out as when he had to face his master.

“I-I, I asked you to always knock first, Kagami. What if Lord Aomine was in here attending to private matters?”

The color in Kagami face deepened.

“Sorry,” he said, but to everyone’s ears it was clear he had to force the apology out.

Wishing he could just run away, Sakurai called up every bit of his courage and crossed to the front of his desk. “W-well, it’s fine then. We were almost done anyway. Kagami, let me introduce you to Lady Satsuki’s new governess, Miss Kise Ryouko.”

“Miss Kise,” Sakurai turned to Kise, “this is young Lord Imayoshi’’s tutor, Kagami Taiga. Kagami is the Earl’s step-cousin on his mother’s side.”

With a murmured “How do you do,” Kise stood up and offered his hand. He discovered he was nearly as tall as Kagami, his own eyes almost even with the other’s astounded chestnut orbs.

Out of habit, the young man’s hand extended to shake Kise’s hand, only he didn’t actually shake it, just held it as he continued to stare open mouthed at Kise.

“Is there something on my face, Mr. Kagami?” Kise raised an eyebrow, hiding his amusement and mild irritation.

It was a frequent occurrence, but he never got used to being looked at like  _that_ by another man. At his words, Kagami dropped his hand as if bit and stammered an apology.

Sakurai coughed, drawing Kagami’s attention, and the pair began to presumably discuss whatever urgent matter had brought the young man there. Kise tuned them out, taking the opportunity to study both men. The steward was a short, timid man with brown hair and anxious eyes. He barely reached Kise’s nose when they had stood next to each other. He was dressed impeccably, however. His sober, black clothing was tidy and neat. 

The tutor, on the other hand, was another story. His red hair was wild and spiky, looking as if he made a habit of running his hands through it. Unlike Sakurai, Kagami was tall and muscular, with wide shoulders and a trim, toned body. Messy and unkempt, his attire featured a limp, slightly askew tie. The buttons of his vest were undone and his white shirtsleeves were rolled up, revealing the tanned, lean muscles of his forearms. Kagami’s brown trousers were smudged with dirt, and his black boots were scuffed. 

He looked like no other tutor Kise had encountered before. Every tutor he had previously met had been straitlaced. Most had been supercilious prigs who looked down upon everyone else. The famed Midorima Shintarou came to mind, another old friend of Kise’s, who once taught students while he worked on his first masterpiece. Kagami was clearly not cut from the same cloth. He spoke quickly, in a deep, almost growling voice, his hands flying about expressively as he emphasized something to Sakurai. Kise thought he detected a hint of the West in that voice. Eyeing Kagami critically, he absently supposed the tutor was handsome enough in a wild, boyish kind of way.

The two men abruptly ended their conversation as if realizing the rudeness of their behavior. The pair looked at him with varying degrees of consternation. He smiled gently.

“Perhaps, gentlemen, I should make the acquaintance of my new student.”

Sakurai laughed to cover his embarrassment and said, “Of course. Kagami, please show her to the nursery. I need to pen a letter to the Earl and advise him of our new addition.”

“Ah, right. This way then.”

It was clear Kagam’s mind was somewhere else. He rushed to the door to open it, and managed to smack himself squarely in the forehead with it. He rubbed at the red mark that bloomed across his brow and cast a disgruntled, embarrassed smile at Kise.

“Can you pretend you didn’t see that?” he asked in a strangled voice.

Kise swallowed a laugh, but his golden eyes twinkled merrily.

“See what?” he replied innocently.

Kagami’s shoulders sagged.

"Never mind. The nursery is this way.”

They moved out into the hall. Kagami didn’t speak again, but Kise was quite aware of the sidelong glances the other man kept stealing at him as they walked. Silence stretched between them, but it was apparent Kagami was not socially adept enough to start up a conversation on his own when alone with a woman (or someone he believed to be a woman).

“How long have you been Lord Imayoshi’s tutor?” Kise finally spoke, selecting an easy topic for them to discuss.

Kagami looked at him gratefully, relief in his eyes as he responded eagerly. Kise though he resembled a large, enthusiastic puppy. Which was ironic because people often said that about Kise.

“It has been about four months since I came here.”

Hmm. The first disappearance took place a little over a year ago. If Kagami had only been there for four months, the other man probably didn’t have much information on the disappearances. 

To be certain, Kise asked, “And what did you do before then? Were you employed as a tutor in another household nearby?”

The question seemed to embarrass the other man and he hunched his shoulders a bit.

“I was finishing my studies for a position in the church.”

Kise’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, mind diverted for the moment. He hadn’t expected that response. Not only was the redhead very  _un_ tutorish, he definitely didn’t seem fit for the church. As he walked alongside Kise, Kagami’s lean body was filled with barely restrained energy. His tanned skin and honed muscles were testaments to the amount of time he spent outside using his body instead of his mind. Kise couldn’t picture him in a black robe, cooped up inside a quiet church. 

Kagami correctly guessed the train of Kise’s thoughts and grinned, showing white, even teeth. The smile was slightly lopsided, but it was the type one couldn’t help but find infectious. 

“Hard to imagine, isn’t it?” he laughed, and much of the tension plaguing the tutor seemed to drain out.

“Just a smidgen,” Kise answered with a smile of his own. 

Kagami blinked at that smile, and swallowed audibly. They had reached a staircase, but Kagami apparently didn’t notice. His foot caught on the bottom step and he tilted forward, face on a collision course with the stairs. 

Kise reacted without thinking. In a quick movement, he snagged Kagami back from the brink of disaster, easily hauling the other man’s slightly larger and bulkier frame up. Their faces were inches apart, Kagami staring dumbfounded into Kise’s eyes for a few seconds before the intimate nature of their pose hit him. 

He lurched back, almost ending up on his butt, and nervously straightened his tie that was already beyond repair. He turned to head up the stairs, and Kise noticed even the tips of the other man’s ears were red. It seemed somehow insulting to consider a grown man cute, yet Kagami’s reactions were, well,  _cute_. Kise chuckled to himself and followed. 

After leaving the stairs, they walked down yet another hall to a large, mahogany door on the end. Kagami had composed himself by then, and looked back over his shoulder at Kise.

“This is the nursery,” he said and pushed the door open before excusing himself.

Kise took a deep breath, and turned the lever in his brain that allowed him to become someone else. In this case, someone who understood and got along well with children. Shoring up his wits, he stepped inside and began his new life as a governess. It would certainly be a scandal of epic proportions should anyone discover a man was acting nanny to a young lady of the upper class. Kise would just have to make sure that didn’t happen. He needed to quickly settle into this role so he could move freely about town and begin his investigation. 

Later that night, Kise retired to the bedchamber that had been prepared for him. Before unpacking, he searched every nook and cranny of the room, searching for peepholes, crawl spaces and secret passages. Satisfied there was none, he unpacked, carefully hiding the several sets of male attire he had brought. 

Afterward, he ripped off the constrictive women’s clothes and padding. He fell back on the bed with a relieved sigh. Once the house settled down for the night, he would sneak out and begin his initial survey of the area. Closing his eyes, he decided to rest for a bit until then.

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He wasn’t prepared for the next day when Kagami’s red head popped into the nursery and awkwardly asked if Kise and Satsuki wanted to come pick berries with them. Apparently, the cook regularly bribed the two males to find ingredients for him, Kagami with food and Imayoshi with cold, hard coin. It would be a bit forward if Kise were really a woman, but Kagami just didn’t seem to observe the polite norms of society. Which was just fine by Kise, he couldn’t do his job during the day anyway and being cooped up with a seven-year old hellion wasn’t exactly a fun way to spend his time.

For his part, Kagami just felt like he ought to try to make friends with the new governess. If it had been another male who had gotten hired on at the estate, he would have just let the guy be, unless the man liked sports or games or other things Kagami could challenge him to. He was extremely competitive, and most of the other men employed by Aomine were just too old, too young, or too wimpy. He wasn’t exactly sure how to act around the extremely beautiful woman, but he tried. It seemed the nice thing to do, and though he got embarrassed when people called him out on it, he  _was_  a decent person when it came down to it.

That’s why the next day, and the following, and the ones after that, he made sure to include Kise and Satsuki in any outdoor adventures he managed to talk Imayoshi into. Frankly, Kagami was more comfortable with the little girl, who liked to catch frogs and play in the mud and other tomboyish activities. Imayoshi just read or watched them with a slight smile on his face, like they were all just there for his amusement. It was kind of creepy.

During those outings, Kagami discovered Kise was more than just a pretty face. She was amusing and smart, much smarter than him, and even when Satsuki threw her most loud, violent fit, Kise just laughed and joked, miraculously calming the child down. Kagami enjoyed that bright smile and sparkling laugh more than he should have. Women were like an alien species to him, so he usually avoided them. He was too big, too rough, too loud for most of them. His new colleague never treated him that way at all, and he was able to relax. Though Kise tried to act like a proper young woman, she simply had too much energy, often bouncing here and there, chattering away. It was amusing to watch because when Kise realized how excitable she was, she would clam up and straighten her back, putting on a composed face. It never lasted and more often than not Kise would crack right up at her own behavior. Kagami couldn’t help but laugh along.

He still managed to embarrass himself, though. He normally wasn’t a clumsy person, his physical prowess one thing he took pride in, but every time Kise was watching, he ended up making a fool of himself, once even tripping over his own feet. He’d been glad no one else had been around to see it.

 

 

 

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few weeks, Kise hadn’t much progress in his investigation. Lord Aomine had not returned from whatever mischief he was currently up to, so Kise hadn’t needed to worry about his employer yet. It was his charge that continually impeded his mission. Lady Satsuki was a seven-year old hellion, and more time than he wanted was spent chasing after her.

Luckily for him, Kagami was there. He would have died of boredom long ago if that man didn’t exist. Kise enjoyed their little adventures, glad to be outside and in the sun. Plus, though Kagami seemed kind of scary at first glance but he really wasn’t and Kise enjoyed his company.

Today, Kagami had Imayoshi were hunting stag beetles. Kise and Satsuki were along too, though their goal was to catch butterflies. 

For all the fun he had during the day, even dressed up like a woman, Kise was still frustrated he couldn’t more openly pursue his investigation. Only at night was he free to roam about and attend to his true business. He needed to find an excuse to go into town so he could begin subtly questioning the people there who may have last seen the women, and he needed to do it soon.  
  
“I say, Kagami, I don’t think it is wise to climb so high into that tree. Its branches don’t look sturdy at all,” Imayoshi’s faintly amused, young voice wafted over to where Kise was observing Satsuki.  
  
Kise looked back to see Kagami’s scuffed boot disappear up into a nearby tree. The man had absolutely no sense of his own safety, Kise had quickly concluded during his first few days there. Kagami had slipped off the stable roof when he attempted to rescue a cat that had climbed up there. He fell into the river trying to retrieve the fishing pole Imayoshi had accidentally dropped. He tumbled off the ladder in the library going after some dusty old tome the young lord had wanted that was on the top shelf.   
  
The amazing thing was, the man ended up with not a single scratch. It was a mystery to Kise. Still, he found the other man vastly entertaining, a bright spot in this otherwise hellish assignment.   
  
Kagami always managed to jump back on his feet, no matter what befell him. At first, Kise had thought the man a bit simple, but then he had realized Kagami was not simple, but  _simply_ a genuinely nice person.

As servants, at least technically, they often ate together. Kise had come to know the other man, and he liked what he had discovered. Kagami was brash and bold. He spoke loudly but he was always honest, and always looking for his next challenge, whether it was beating one of the other servants to a race or climbing a tree, looking for beetles. 

“It’s fine, Imayoshi, I am a master at tree climbing,” Kagami said with confidence in response to the boy’s observation. “I definitely saw a beetle move in these branches. Just a few more inches and I will know if I was right.”  
  
Walking under the branches, mindful not to snag his gray gown, Kise looked up to see Kagami perched unsteadily on a wobbly limb. As he watched, the tutor’s foot slipped out from under him and he was suddenly hanging precariously from a weak-looking branch.  
  
“Wah! What are you doing?” hands on his hips, Kise shouted up at the stupid man. “ _Master of tree climbing?_  Master of falling on his butt more likely! How exactly do you plan to get down from there now?”  
  
Kagami glanced down with wide, chestnut eyes. He appeared shocked, and Kise suddenly realized what he had done. He groaned inwardly. Ladies didn’t yell like that, well usually. He knew a few who could shout a sailor down.  
  
“Can you swing your legs over that branch there?” he asked quickly, pointing up to a fairly thick branch as he tried to divert Kagami’s attention from what he had just said.  
  
The redhead blinked and looked over at the branch, only he didn’t have the chance to try because the limb he was hanging on shuddered and splintered with a loud crack. Kise didn’t have time to move before Kagami plummeted downward, landing on him and knocking him to the ground. The breath whooshed out of him. Kagami looked dazed, and not a little horrified. Then, Kise’s mouth parted on a groan and Kagami’s eyes dropped to his lips. Kise was abruptly conscious of the heat of Kagami’s body pressed against his and a strange feeling washed over him.  
  
“You’re crushing me,” he said with a calmness he didn’t quite feel.  
  
Kagami looked down at the beauty beneath him and wanted to groan himself. Up this close, Kise was really the most stunning creature he had ever seen.  
  
Though it was all kinds of wrong, he was enjoying their brief contact, the feel of the other’s body beneath his. He had a fleeting thought that the figure was slimmer and more muscular than it should be, and then Kise spoke. The words were like cold water over his head, however, and he scrambled back in mortification.   
  
Face crimson, he held out a hand and helped her to her feet. A smudge of dirt decorated Kise’s face just above her mouth. His hand was moving before his brain could tell it not to, and he rubbed the offending speck with his thumb. She jerked back from him, countenance pale. He feared he had offended her, and opened his mouth to apologize, but she turned on her heel.  
  
“Come, Lady Satsuki, it is time we returned to the manor,” her tone was curt.  
  
Kagami watched her go with regret, mentally berating himself for his clumsy actions. Of course a woman wouldn’t want some rough man like himself touching her face. He turned away with a sigh.

Sometimes, he thought coming back here after so long had been a mistake. Though he’d only been there four months, it seemed like an eternity. And acting as a tutor? Not one of his brighter decisions, not when Imayoshi’s math homework alone looked like a foreign language to him. His one consolation had been that he hadn’t seen Aomine during that entire time. Their past made it hard, and painful, to face the other man, though why he had hired Kagami at all remained a mystery. Now that Kise had come, he had an actual reason to be happy, as long as he didn’t screw up and freak her out too badly.  
  
Kise was oblivious to Kagami’s depression as he hurried away, not understanding the swift pounding of his heart and the odd sensation in the pit of his stomach. Maybe lunch was not agreeing with him.   
  
That night, he slipped into his form fitting black clothes, his  _male_ clothes, and prowled the house, putting thoughts of the early event out of his mind. He still couldn’t figure out exactly why Kuroko had placed him here of all places. Did his superior suspect the Earl was involved? Did Kuroko actually  _know_ the Earl? Plagued by these thoughts, he spent his nights searching every corner of the manor.   
  
Though his room did not have them, Kise had quickly discovered secret passages riddled throughout the house. He stepped into one now. The passageways that ran through the manor were all connected, and lined inside with wooden panels. Some were small squares located about eye level, others were actual doors one could open and walk through. The passageway he was currently in was narrow and dusty. Until he trod through, there was no sign anyone else had been through there in years. A stale, mildew smell permeated the corridor.  
  
Creeping soundlessly through the twisting passage, he paused to look through several peepholes along his way. One he came to had him lingering a little too long. It was a room belonging to one of the downstairs maids, only she wasn’t alone. One of the footmen had her over the edge of her bed, thrusting wildly into her. He watched the show until the footman cried out his pleasure, and the maid groaned her disappointment. Clearly the footman hadn’t managed to bring his lady to climax. Kise shook his head in disgust. Some men were idiots when it came to the bedchamber.  
  
He came to the Lord Aomine’s study next, which had an actual door leading into it from the passage. As he had for the last several nights, he rifled through books, papers, drawers, anything he could get his hands on. Other than several scandalous love letters from the earl’s mistress, he hadn’t found anything of interest. Sighing, he went back into the corridor and contemplated what his next steps in his investigation should be. Lost in thought, he missed the turn back to the hallway entrance near his room. He was just about to backtrack when a sound reached him. Curious, he walked over to a little panel on the left and pulled it open. His eyes widened at the scene before him.  
  
He had stumbled upon Kagami’s room. He knew that because the tutor was currently seated in a high backed chair, facing him. Kagami’s shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a well-defined chest. One small, brown nipple was just visible along the edges of the open shirt. Kagami’s breeches were unfastened as well. And the reason for those unbuttoned pants was also the reason for Kise’s wide-eyed shock. Kagami was masturbating.  
  
Kise should have turned on his heel right then, but he simply could not look away. Kagami’s cock was long, the flared head flushed and weeping. It rose up from the thatch of dark red curls at the man’s groin. As Kise watched, Kagami reached down with one hand to caress the taut flesh beneath his shaft while he wrapped the other hand around his rigid cock. He stroked it slowly, moving his hand up and down in a smooth, steady rhythm. His breathing was rough and unsteady, his lips parted around the small gasps he was releasing. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek and dropped to his chest.  
  
Wide, golden eyes watched the moisture roll down Kagami’s body, and Kise felt his own skin become damp. Kagami’s movements were faster, his strokes quick and firm now. He cradled his cock in both hands, shoving it through his fists as his hips jerked off the chair. Then Kagami threw his head back. The long vein in his neck bulged as he opened his mouth on a loud, guttural groan. He climaxed, the rhythmic spurts coating his hand in milky fluid. His hand kept stroking, but the movements were languorous now as he squeezed out every drop.  
  
Flushed, skin feeling hot and tight, Kise could watch no longer. He raced back down the passage, out into the hall, and into the haven of his room. Locking the door behind him, he pulled down his pants and grabbed the throbbing flesh between his own legs. He stroked it with hard, jerking movements. There, with his back against the door, he fucked his fist hurriedly, the need to climax pounding through his veins. The image of Kagami with his red head tilted back in release flashed through his mind, and the swift jolt of orgasm seared through his stomach.  
  
Afterward, he felt sick at what he had just done. Watching the maid and the footman hadn’t aroused him, but somehow seeing Kagami pleasuring himself had awakened a deep, dark lust inside him. He convinced himself it was just the forbidden act of secretly watching another man  _without_ the man’s knowledge that had stimulated him, not the actual sight itself. A small voice in the back of his mind mocked him for it, however.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Kise finally got his wish to go into town. Kagami needed to pick up a special book he had ordered for Lord Imayoshi. Kise invited himself along under the pretense of needing a new bonnet, and had to force himself not to puke when the lie passed his lips. They hadn’t spoken since the tree incident yesterday. And, Kise was finding it hard to maintain his composure in light of what he had seen, and  _done_ , the night before. Only the unshakeable will and ability to compartmentalize unpleasantness he had learned in the military allowed him to lock the memory away into the deepest recesses of his mind.   
  
Now, he sat silently in the cart as it rolled down the road. Kagami had a steady hand on the reins, but Kise still had to resist the urge to take over. One more humiliation he had to suffer for his country, riding along passively like a helpless maiden. Maybe it was time to consider giving up this way of life, especially after last night. He had put aside all of the money he had made in the military, and every gold piece he had received since joining the Miracle Generation. He could live quite comfortably for the rest of his life on what he had hidden away.  
  
It was Kagami who broke the silence this time as they ambled along.   
  
“Miss Kise, um, I want to apologize again for yesterday.” As before, his apology was clumsy, as if he wasn’t used to it. “I didn’t meant to—.”  
  
“If you want to make amends, you can start by desisting with calling me ‘Miss Kiss’ all the time. Just call me Kise.”  
  
“I’m not sure that would be a good—.”  
  
Kise interrupted him again, eyes glittering, a chuckle in his voice, “Just do it! Calling  _Miss_  Kise sounds so stupid and if you hadn’t noticed, I’ve already been calling you just Kagami for the last few days.” Actually, once he almost slipped and added  _cchi_  to the man’s name.   
  
For some reason, Kise found it hard to maintain his façade around Kagami and his more colorful personality had a tendency to slip through.   
  
Kagami’s lips trembled and then he threw back his head and laughed heartily, the sound as rough and wild as he was. Kise eyed him a bit warily, not sure how to handle the other’s full-body laughter. He’d only seen Kagami really smile when he faced some obstacle, like climbing the tree, as if the challenge itself made him happy.  
  
“Miss—er,  _Kise_ , you aren’t like other girls I’ve met.”  
  
 _It’s because I’m a man!_  Kise wanted to weep. The assignment this time was really getting to him.  
  
Instead he asked, “Is that a bad thing?”  
  
Shaking his head, Kagami glanced at him with a soft smile on his face, “No, I think it is uh kind of nice.”  
  
Kise thought Kagami was the one who was nice. Could some someone so kind and gentle truly exist? It was hard to fathom, especially in light of all the muck and filth Kise had seen firsthand from his fellow man. They arrived in town before noon. As Kagami hurried to retrieve his book, Kise began making casual conversation with the shopkeeper’s assistant. The man had taken one look at Kise’s face and had stumbled over himself in an attempt to keep Kise talking to him.   
  
Next, they visited the milliner so Kise could buy a bonnet. Kagami waited uncomfortably outside, but Kise had no choice but to be uncomfortable  _inside_. Surrounded by frilly confections and giggling young ladies, he wanted to hurry up and buy the thing, but it was a perfect opportunity to engage in a bit of gossip about the disappearances without Kagami listening. After the milliner’s, Kise convinced Kagami to take him by the bakery shop, the watchmaker, the linen draper, and the music seller. In every shop, Kise subtly inquired about the missing young women. By the time he was done, he learned two of them had dark hair, one had blond and the last one had light brownish hair; two of them attended the same church; and one of them had a sweet tooth. Because Touou was a small town, the places they each visited regularly overlapped.   
  
Feet aching, because it was really hard walking around all day in woman’s slippers, Kise’s stomach suddenly gave a loud rumble. Carrying various packages at his side, Kagami chuckled.  
  
“I agree. It’s been a long time breakfast and we missed lunch because of the drive into town. Let’s visit Maji! Though not as famous as the Golden Arches, it has the best hamburgers I have ever eaten!”  
  
Kise didn’t really care. He just wanted to get off his feet and put food of some sort in his belly. They entered the shop, and he was aware of several curious gazes tossed their way. Even though he was dressed head to toe in stern, prim, downright dowdy clothing, there was no hiding his face and hair. Avid looks bounced between his face and Kagami’s, as if trying to discern the relationship between the big, rough young man and the woman at his side. Kise gave a mental shudder.

They snagged a table near the window. For half an hour they talked about trivial things, but Kise found it relaxing. Kagami had an "all or nothing" way of speaking that was fascinating compared to other people Kise knew. He threw himself into everything he did, whether it was talking, working or clambering over the grounds of the estate. Kise was much more used to people who deliberated every word before speaking, words that were usually lies.

The man also ate like today was his last day on earth. Kise lost track somewhere around the tenth burger. Where did he put all that food? Though Kise liked good food as much as the next man, he had to be careful what he ate in order to keep his body in prime shape. Apparently, Kagami did not have that problem. It sort of irked him.

After some time, a few brave souls stopped by to exchange pleasantries with Kagami, but while they talked to him, their eyes remained riveted upon Kise’s face. Kise maintained an agreeable expression, but was itching to stick out his tongue or pick his nose. Especially at the ones who lingered a little too long on the slight curves he had (thanks to the padding stuffed in his dress).   
  
Kagami himself was ill at ease with the looks his companion was receiving. Of course Kise was the type to attract admiration no matter where she went. When Wakamatsu, the owner of the local inn, came up and hovered for several minutes, Kagami bristled. The man was being totally obvious with that lustful stare. Red eyebrows drew together in a pugnacious glower, though Kagami wasn’t aware of it. Wakamatsu, however was, and bid a hasty adieu to the duo.  
  
When the ice cream they ordered for dessert came, Kagami discovered it near impossible to keep his eyes from Kise’s mouth. A small, pink tongue peeked out to lick away a bit of the sweet treat and Kagami’s body, to his mortification, swelled with heat. He had to shift uncomfortably to alleviate the sudden tightness of his pants. He only hoped Kise did not notice.  
  
Kise, in fact, had  _not_ noticed the other man’s discomfort, too absorbed in wishing he could moon the entire male population inside Maji. For a moment, he forgot he was supposed to be a woman. Instead of daintily nibbling on his ice cream, he consumed it with gusto. He finished quickly, and glanced up to see Kagami staring at him oddly. For the first time in a long time, he felt himself blush.  
  
“Eh, I guess that wasn’t very lady-like, was it?”   
  
Kagami blinked and gave a small smile.  
  
“It’s fine. I never thought that picking at your food was something to admire. No one could really have such a small appetite and if you are hungry, you should eat, even if you are a lady.”  
  
 _You have no idea,_ Kise thought drily.   
  
Kagami looked over his shoulder then, and broke into a strained smile.  
  
“Hanamiya! What are you … I mean how are you today?”  
  
Kise turned to see thin man with thick eyebrows and hair just a bit too long to be fashionable coming their way.

“Kagami, good to see you again,” Hanamiya replied in a soft, pleasant voice that still managed to sound like he wasn’t really happy to see Kagami at all. “However,” he wagged a finger at Kagami, “it has been much too long since you last visited. There is always a spot for you in my church.”  
  
Kagami looked torn between embarrassment and irritation.  
  
“Ah, let me introduce you to Lady Satsuki’s new governess, Kise Ryouko,” he said quickly. “Kise, this Hanamiya Makoto, one of Touou’s two priests.”  
  
The priest’s eyes widened slightly at the casual way Kagami addressed Kise, but he didn’t comment on it. He bowed over Kise’s hand. Something slid across his expression, something Kise didn’t recognize but that made him slightly uneasy. Then, as if the strange look had never happened, the priest was all smiles and cordiality.  
  
“Pleasure to meet you. Are you settling in nicely down at the Earl’s manor? Working for our local lord must be...tiring.”  
  
Kise searched the man’s face for some hidden meaning behind those words, but couldn’t find any, even though the way the priest had phrased it was almost suggestive. Kagami spoke sparingly and almost unwillingly, clearly not a fan of the priest. Kise, too, couldn’t shake his uneasiness. His intuition told him something was a bit off with Hanamiya. Kagami and the priest chatted a few more minutes, or rather Hanamiya kept up a running dialogue while Kagami’s eyes darted all over the place, looking for an escape route. Finally, the priest turned to leave. He bowed over Kise’s hand again, this time his thumb trailing across the skin in what Kise could only describe as an oily caress.  
  
“I hope to see you at our church as well,” Hanamiya said genially and bid his goodbyes.  
  
 _No way!_  Kise thought darkly and scrubbed the back of his hand against his skirt. That person gave him the willies, and he didn’t want to cross paths with the man anytime soon. They finished up their ice cream and headed back to the manor. Kise forgot about the smarmy clergyman as he began mentally composing the letter he would send off to Kuroko that night to detail the progress, or lack of, in his investigation.

A few days later, Kise received a missive back from Kuroko. His superior had managed to dig up more information about the disappearances.   
  
The first young woman to disappear, Sawa Yuki, had apparently last been seen when she told her sister of her plans to visit the ruins of Touou’s old temple with her new boyfriend. Unfortunately, no one knew the identity of the mysterious man and Yuki had never returned.   
  
A few months later, the second woman, Hitani Haru, had hired a driver to take her to the edge of Touou Woods. To the driver’s surprise, she had asked that he leave her there, but a bit of coin had persuaded him to do just that. She was never seen again.   
  
Honda Misaki, the third to vanish, had left a note for her family stating she was meeting up with her lover at the park. They had made plans to elope. Only she had never made it to her young lover. The local authorities had suspected him, but there was nothing to indicate he was involved. Kise made a mental note to look into the young man.  
  
And then there was Suzuki Ai, the lady’s maid and distant relation of Emperor Akashi. She had simply disappeared from her small, downstairs room in the mayor’s house. There had been no sign of a struggle or forced entry. It seemed she had let her abductor in. Indeed, the sheets had born evidence that she and the unknown man had engaged in a sexual tryst before she willingly went with him.   
  
Kise had already been in the mayor’s house. Late one night, he had borrowed a horse from the stables and had snuck off to town. The mayor’s residence had been frighteningly easy to break into. Kise had prowled through every room, even the mayor’s bedroom with the mayor snoring away unknowingly in his bed. However, there had been no evidence of any kind to point to anyone in the house as the criminal. Kise had spent most of his time scouring Suzuki’s room, which still stood empty. It had been stripped of all of her possessions, and the furniture was all covered with dusty white sheets. Making a sweep under the bed, Kise had found a small, curious button lodged behind one of the bed posts. It was silver with a strange emblem on it. He wasn’t sure if it was a clue or not, but he had made an engraving of the emblem and had sent it off to Kuroko for investigation.   
  
The other sites where the ladies may or may not have disappeared, however, proved more troublesome. Because they were all outdoors, he really needed to visit them during the day to look for evidence. One drawback to masquerading as an unmarried governess, besides the eternal embarrassment and freaking uncomfortable clothes, was the fact he could not leave the estate unescorted. It was inconvenient to say the least. He had to have an escort, whether he liked it or not. His mind immediately turned to Kagami. He didn’t delve too deeply into why he had picked the tutor instead of simply requesting a footman to go with him.  
  
He eventually came up with a plan that would enable him to visit the other three sites. 

One day during the children’s afternoon nap, Kise managed to persuade Kagami that he was absolutely obsessed with flowers and wished to examine various locations in the area to study them. Jumping on any excuse to get outside and run around, Kagami had happily agreed without hesitation. Kise felt a prick of guilt at Kagami’s excitement but brushed it away. Conscience had no place in his line of work.   
  
Leaving the children to their nap, Kise and Kagami headed to the old temple ruins. Kise had decided to investigate it first. They left the cart on the old dirt path, and walked up the hill to the crumbling pile of stones. When they got there, they found the ground rocky and treacherous. Kagami, hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly offered his arm to Kise, the tips of his ears only slightly pink. Kise would have loved to refuse, but it would have seemed suspicious. He took Kagami’s arm, absently noting the quiet strength in it, and his sharp eyes began combing over the moldy old ruins and its surroundings. The odds of him finding a clue, a year after the fact, were quite slim.   
  
Caught up in his search, he missed the large stone in his path. He tripped on it, losing his balance, until Kagami steadied him.   
  
Face a bit flushed, Kagami told him, “Watch out.”  
  
Kise glanced up into the other man’s concerned eyes and, for some reason, suddenly found it hard to breathe. He wondered if his corset was too tight.  
  
The moment was broken, however, when Kagami said out of the blue, “You’re really tall, aren’t you. Kise?”  
  
Just like that, his senses returned. Gently pulling away, he summoned a smile and a bright laugh, “Just noticed that, did you? Don’t you have to be smart to be a tutor?”  
  
Kagami blinked. For a moment, he looked guilty but then a reluctant chuckle escaped his lips.

“Ah, I made you laugh,” Kise grinned.  
  
Kagami looked down the one inch that separated them.  
  
“Yeah, you’re pretty funny. I usually don’t get along too well with other people, but I like you.”  
  
Kise froze at those words, but Kagami didn’t act as if he had just made a most shocking confession. Kise searched his eyes for any hint of what the other man was thinking, but they remained guileless and clear. There must have been no deeper meaning to Kagami’s words. Kise turned away, ignoring the odd fluttering in his stomach, and resumed his investigation.  
  
Several minutes had passed when Kagami called out to him with boyish excitement.  
  
“Kise, come over here. Since you like plants, what do you think of this one? I think I can use the sap from this plant to patch the ball Imayoshi and I play with. It went flat a week ago and we haven’t been able to play basketball since then.”  
  
Swallowing a curse, Kise thought that he didn’t give a crap about some stupid plant. However, the talk of basketball perked him, though he wished he could actually play when Kagami and Imayoshi were out on their makeshift court. It had been a happy surprise to him that the other man enjoyed his favorite pastime so much. Also he  _was_  supposed to be there to look at plants. He walked over to where Kagami squatted and peered down to see some greenish, stringy sort of plant. The thick, sluggish sap did seem sticky enough to work as a patch. Kagami was gazing at happily, turning his head this way and that to get a better view.   
  
“I think it might work,” Kise murmured, and then, having seen enough, Kise let his eyes roam. It wasn’t long before his peripheral vision detected the glint of something metallic. Curious, he leaned down and picked it up. Brushing the mud away, he found himself staring at the same sort of silver button he had found in Suzuki’s room.  _Now_ , he was excited. There was no way this could just be coincidence.   
  
He rooted around some more. A flash of white buried in the dirt caught his eye. He used his foot to brush away the soil and pressed his lips grimly together. Staring up at him was the empty socket of a human skull. Bits of flesh and hair still clung to the bone. He knelt down, sweeping more of the dirt away, and uncovered the remains of a black dress that covered a badly decomposed body. With that button in hand, Kise thought he may have just found the remains of one of the missing women.  
  
“Kise, do you think we should take a specimen back to— _Oh my God!_  What are you going?”  
  
Standing up, Kise wiped his hands on his dress and said calmly, “I believe we should head back to the manor as quickly as possible and send for the authorities.”  
  
His mind was whirling. If the body proved to be Sawa Yuki’s, which might be difficult to establish he admitted to himself, then he needed to inform Kuroko right away. Kise had no way of knowing the blank expression on his face and unfocused look in his eyes as he thought furiously were giving Kagami a very false impression. In a move that had his mouth falling open, Kise suddenly found himself crushed against Kagami’s chest.  
  
“It-it’s alright, Kise. I’m sorry you had to see that,” Kagami patted his back awkwardly. “It’s only natural to be shocked.”  
  
Kise wanted to snort at those words. Hell, he had seen much worse in his days in the military. Severed limbs, decapitated heads, bloody entrails. He had long since grown numb to such things.  
  
Yet, Kagami did not know that. The other man thought he was consoling a frightened young woman. If Kise was honest with himself, he would admit it actually felt sort of nice. With his face smashed against Kagami, the other’s clean, slightly musky scent filled his nose. His eyes drifted shut and he actually leaned into Kagami. People other than Kuroko usually never offered him comfort, at least without demanding something in return. Kagami’s arms tightening around him snapped Kise back to reality. He had been in woman’s clothing much too long; he was beginning to act like one.  
  
Pulling away abruptly, he gave Kagami his back. His voice was curt as he spoke.  
  
“We should hurry.”  
  
Kagami stared at that stiff, slender back and felt helpless, an emotion he didn’t like at all. He believed (incorrectly) that Kise was just trying to be strong. Finding a dead body like that had to be frightening. Even he found it extremely unnerving, and he uneasily wondered if he knew the person. Clenching his fist, he cursed at himself for not being able to do more for Kise, to spare her from this horrible scene. Grabbing the governess in a hug had been instinctual, but now he felt flustered by his own actions.  
  
Though it hadn’t been long since Kise had entered his life, Kagami had begun to care for her, more than care for actually. He’d always gone with his gut instinct, another reason why the clergy had been a bad choice for him, so the instant attraction did not exactly concern him, though it did sometimes make him feel like an idiot. He then recalled the other night, when the desire had gotten the better of him, and he had masturbated himself with Kise’s image in his mind. Flushing, he forced the dangerous thought away. This was not the time or place to be thinking of that.  
  
Still, as he looked at Kise, he couldn’t help but find her complex puzzle he wished he could solve. Sometimes she was the essence of femininity. At others her way of moving and speaking was decidedly mannish, but her smile could still light up an entire room. He was better at pushing people away than drawing them close, but with Kise, he didn’t feel the need to growl and bark and protect himself. It was a curious thing.  
  
“Alright,” he told Kise softly. “Let’s go home.”  
  
They went back in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. However, the day would hold one more trial for them. Chaos awaited them at the manor. The Earl had finally come home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

When they entered the mansion, Kagami immediately began searching for a servant to send into town. There was nary a one in sight, however. Kise waited impatiently, itching to return to his room so he could write to Kuroko. In addition to relaying the discovery of the body, he wanted to ask his superior to dispatch Izuki to Touou. Not only was he one of Kuroko’s men, Izuki was also an accomplished bounty hunter and detective. Kise didn’t trust the locals to handle the investigation. They couldn’t have done a thorough job of examining the site of Sawa Yuki’s disappearance if they missed a damn corpse!

Kise needed Izuki to examine the body for any possible evidence. He also wanted the man to take a look around Touou Woods. He suspected Izuki would find, at the very least, another silver button. It was not coincidence, in his mind, that he had found those buttons. Kise had a feeling the killer/kidnapper had left the objects behind on purpose, like a sort of calling card.

He was just about to go off in search for a servant himself when Kagami finally flagged down a harried, elderly maid.

“Chiyo, where is everyone?” he asked her.

Her wrinkled face fell into disapproving lines, and her voice was disgusted as she replied.

“Kagami, His Lordship has come home. He demanded an immediate inspection of all the servants, and is currently with them in the main hall.”

The maid harrumphed, and then hurried off on whatever task she had been about. Kise was actually disappointed at the news of the Earl’s return. He wasn’t sure if his movements would now be even more hampered than before. Kagami didn’t take the news too well, either. He actually swore, the first time Kise had heard him do so.

“ _Dammit!_  Now is not the time to examine the servants for this week’s bed partner!”

Kise blinked in surprise at the outburst. So, it was like that. It was not surprise the Earl bedded his servants. The practice was common enough. Kise simply thought it interesting to see this side of Kagami that he had not seen before.

Apparently, Kagami noticed the expression on Kise’s face because his own turned red.

“Ah, forgive me, Kise. I shouldn’t have said such a crude thing in front of you.”

Lips twitching, Kise said with an airy wave, “It is quite alright, Kagami. I’m no shrinking violet in case you had not noticed.”

Kagami smiled, a faint warm smile that made Kise feel like fidgeting.

“I had indeed noticed.”

His look then abruptly turned serious.

Grabbing Kise’s shoulders, he gazed earnestly into the other’s eyes.

“Kise, perhaps it would be best if you went to your room. I am sure even you need time to recuperate after our ordeal this afternoon. I will make sure someone is sent to the police straightaway.” Kagami hesitated a moment, seeming to search for the right words before he continued. “I feel now may not be the best time for you to make Aomine’s acquaintance. He can be rather … out of sorts when he returns from a long trip.”

“Come now, Kagami, I am hurt to hear you say such mean things about your beloved cousin.”

A new, huskier voice spoke from behind Kise. Immediately, all of his senses went on alert. Kagami’s face turned a pale then green then bright red.

“Aomine,” Kagami wore a smile that was obviously forced, “the maid said you were occupied at the moment.”

“I completed my business,” the other man said dismissively.

Kise heard the heavy sound of heels clacking on the marble floor, and then the Earl was in front of him. 

“And who might this be?” he looked at Kise and raised a dark eyebrow.

_This man is dangerous_ , was the immediate thought that passed through Kise’s mind when he got his first look at the Earl. The man was tall, at least a few inches taller than Kise. His dark blue eyes, so dark they were the color of blue twilight, were hooded as they looked at Kise. The Earl was big, well-built, and tanned, or maybe that swarthiness was his natural skin tone. He didn’t wear a tie, and his white dress shirt was carelessly unbuttoned to the middle of his chest. His hair matched the dark color of his eyes, and was cropped short. He practically exuded authority and sensuality. Aomine Daiki might be the single most attractive, sexual person Kise had ever met, and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the man.

As Aomine stood there, muscular arms crossed in front of his chest, booted feet wide apart in an arrogant stance, the image of a daring, ruthless conqueror came to Kise’s mind. Once more, he thought,  _This man is very dangerous_.

Kise glanced at Kagami. Reluctance flashed across his face, but then he squared his shoulders.

“Aomine, allow me to present Kise Ryouko, the governess Sakurai secured for Satsuki in your absence.”

“ _Miss_  Kise,” the Earl drawled and gave Kise the barest of nods, but his voice seemed to hold a note of laughter as he repeated the name, as if he found something amusing.

Kise was debating offering his hand to the Earl (and really,  _really_  not wanting to) when Kagami rescued him from having to make the decision.

“Aomine, I’m actually glad to see you.” Aomine’s eyebrows rose and it was clear he wasn’t at all used to Kagami saying something like that to him.  “We need to send for the police immediately.”

“Why ever for?” the Earl asked mildly. “Does it have something to do with why  _Miss_  Kise appears as if she has been rolling around in the dirt?”

There it was again, that amused emphasis on the word “Miss.” Kise’s eyes narrowed slightly, not liking it one bit.

“Aomine! That’s rude you bast …, ” Kagami glanced at Kise and flushed, “er, I mean, that’s not nice.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Aomine murmured, but he didn’t appear sorry at all.

He spoke again.

“So, tell me, Kagami, why do we need to send for the police?”

“There is a dead body buried at the old temple ruins! We discovered it not even an hour ago.”

“A dead body you say,” Aomine replied in mock horror, “how absolutely dreadful.”

Dammit, the man was laughing at them, at  _him_. Kise ground his teeth, feeling an unusual burst of temper. Something about the Earl rubbed him the wrong way.

“It was,” Kagami gave Aomine a dark look, as if he, too, recognized the man was mocking them. “Kise was really disturbed by it.”

“Oh, I am sure it was quite horrific. I’m amazed she didn’t faint right then and there.”

Kagami’s face lost some of its aggravation.

“Well, she’s not that weak,” he said almost proudly.

Kise felt inappropriately happy at Kagami’s compliment, but the feeling was erased when Aomine cocked that eyebrow at him again.

“I can see that Miss Kise is,” his dark eyes made a lazy sweep over Kise’s body, “a  _unique_  individual.” Everywhere that burning gaze touched him, Kise felt singed.

Starting to get a really bad feeling, Kise opened his mouth to excuse himself to his room, but the Earl turned to address Kagami.

“Kagami, there are several footman upstairs in the Blue Room, unpacking the trunks I brought back from my travels. One of them should suffice for a message runner.”

Kagami’s body began to move in the direction of the stairs, and then he paused. He looked uncertainly back and forth between Kise and the Earl, indecision very evident on his face.

Aomine laughed, a deep, throaty, robust sound that echoed off the walls.

“Come now, Kagami, surely you don’t think I will attack my own daughter’s governess? And in the entryway no less?”

Looking sheepishly embarrassed, Kagami gave that lopsided grin of his and said, “Of course not.”

He turned to Kise, and the look in his eyes was  _not_  as confident as his words.

“I will be right back, Kise,” Kagami held Kise’s gaze for a moment, and then spun around, bounding up the stairs as quickly as his legs would carry him.

Once he was out of sight, Kise felt a strange uneasiness wash over him. He glanced up to see Aomine watching him steadily with those hooded eyes of his.

“So then,  _Kise_ ,” the Earl dropped his arms and moved closer, “shall we get better acquainted until my cousin comes back?”

Stiffening, Kise resisted the urge to take a step back when Aomine drew closer.

“What would you like to talk about then?” he lifted his chin, refusing to wilt in front of the other man.

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Aomine tapped his own chin, and then circled Kise slowly, like a predator circling his prey, “maybe you can tell me how it feels for a man to dress in the clothing of a lady? Does it  _excite_  you?”

Shock slammed into Kise at the question.  _How the hell had the Earl known?_ He tried to play it off.

“I really have no idea what you are talking about,” he declared stiffly.

“Oh, I think you do,” the other man reached out and touched Kise’s hair, winding a blond lock around his finger. “I think you know exactly what I am talking about,  _Mr. Kise Ryouta_ ,” the Earl leaned down to whisper in Kise’s ear.

He froze at hearing his true name on the other man’s lips. He locked gazes with Aomine, who just looked back at him with that dark amusement.

“We will continue this conversation later,  _Miss Kise_ ,” he suddenly said rather loudly, “because it seems your guard dog has returned.”

“Aomine!” Kagami’s voice came from the stop of the stairs.

“Relax, Kagami,” the Earl said easily as he turned away, “She had some dirt in her hair, no doubt from her  _trying_  adventure this afternoon. I was just brushing it off for her.”

“I-I see,” Kagami said in obvious relief and came down the stairs.

“Well, then,” Aomine said over his shoulder, “I have things I need to attend to.  _Much_  has happened during my absence that bears a close, thorough scrutiny. I will see you both at dinner.”

Kise watched him walk away, heart racing like mad in his chest.  _How had the Earl known?_

Kagami came forward and searched Kise’s face once the Earl had disappeared.

“Was Aomine really only brushing dirt off of you?” he asked and his chestnut eyes were serious.

Forcing a smile, Kise answered lightly, “Of course. He was quite the gentleman to assist me like that. Now, I am really tired, I think I will go lay down after all, if you will excuse me,” he continued, not having to feign the distress in his voice.

Expression instantly sympathetic, Kagami hesitantly patted Kise’s hand and said quietly, “Of course, Kise. Please try to get some rest. If you don’t feel like coming down for dinner, just let one of the servants know. I am sure Aomine will understand in light of everything.”

Kise was not in agreement with Kagami, but he just smiled again.

“Thank you, Kagami. Please let me know if the police need a statement from me.”

He nodded and turned to head toward his room. Kise knew Kagami was watching him as he walked away, and felt bad he was causing the other man to worry, but he had more important things on his plate at the moment. He would hold off on sending Kuroko his report until he found out exactly what the Earl knew, and how the other man had come to know it. That meant Kise would have to beard the lion in his den that very night, whether he wanted to or not.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Kise had indeed skipped dinner and currently paced in his room, mind whirling furiously, when a servant brought him a message from Kagami. The police had arrived earlier and Kagami had escorted them to the dead body.  Kagami hoped Kise could put the whole incident out of mind. Momentarily diverted, Kise grinned at the note, thinking the messy, sprawling handwriting fit Kagami.  Another sentence, scrawled at the bottom, caught his eye.

_If you feel up to it, please come to the Music Room at nine o’clock tonight. I want to show you something._

At first, Kise debated with himself on whether he should go or not. He couldn’t confront Aomine until much later, when everyone else was asleep, just in case things turned ugly and he needed to hightail it out of the manor. His plans were already set, his incriminating belongings stuffed in a sack he could pick up and carry at a moment’s notice. He had no reason to hide in his room, other than he didn’t want to run into the Earl just yet. His curiosity was also roused by Kagami’s note. His stomach suddenly rumbled loudly. His hunger was apparently roused as well, he thought wryly.

Finally deciding to chance it, Kise made up his mind to go. For reasons he could not fathom, he wanted to see Kagami, especially since it just might be the last time he ever saw the other man again. The thought didn’t sit well with him at all.

At a little before ten, clad in his evening dress (which was  _slightly_  less drab than his day clothes), he cautiously exited his room. Luckily, he only encountered a few servants on his way. He was in the hall leading to the Music Room when the most amazing sound wafted out to him. Someone was singing. No, not merely singing. It was a deep, clear, beautiful sound.  It stopped Kise right in his tracks. He had never heard such a pure voice before. It soared, swelled, and crested, filling the hall with song. He didn’t recognize the words, but they called to him, comforted him, and soothed his soul.

A servant came toward him, eyeing him curiously as if wondering why the governess was traipsing through the hall, and then cocked his head. A smile spread over his craggy face.

“Ah, Kagami is singing again. Incredible, ain’t it?” He smiled at Kise again, inclined his head, and continued on his way.

Kise was stunned. Kagami was responsible for that wonderful sound? Heading to the room’s double doors, he cracked it open and peeked inside. His eyes searched the room, and there was Kagami, sitting at an elegant piano, not playing it but resting his arms on it as he sang.

It was hard for Kise to reconcile the normally boisterous Kagami with the person singing so magnificently.  His expression was relaxed, blissful, a small smile curving his lips. Kise was mesmerized.

He stayed quiet, not wanting to break the musical spell, content to simply watch and listen. However, some sixth sense alerted Kagami that he was no longer alone. He glanced up and spotted Kise. He looked a bit embarrassed, but his eyes still glowed happily.

“Kise,” he called and started to stand.

“No,” the instinctive protest rose to Kise’s lips, “don’t stop.”

Kagami paused for a moment, but finally nodded. He resumed singing, carefully avoiding Kise’s gaze. Kise ventured further into the room, the music pulling him in. He ended up leaning against the piano, eyes closed as he listened. It eased him, Kagami’s song. His mission, the Earl; it all seemed distant with beautiful sound surrounding him.

He eventually opened his eyes and found Kagami staring at him. The expression in the other man’s eyes made his pulse race. Though his cheeks still sported two bright spots of color, the way he looked at Kise was breathtaking. During his countless missions over the years, more than one man had fallen in love, or rather  _lust_ , with the woman he pretended to be. But the honest, open longing on Kagami’s face was a whole new experience for him. Shame, guilt, and some other indefinable emotion swelled up inside him. Kise didn’t know his expression had turned haunted, but the other man saw it and stopped singing, wondering at it.

Earlier that afternoon, after Kise had left him, Kagami had sought out his cousin. The “important” business Aomine had to attend to had been flirting with one of the maids. She had been giggling at something the Earl had whispered as he kissed her neck.

“Aomine,” Kagami had called his cousin’s name, not bothering to conceal the anger in his voice.

 The maid had gasped. Turning red, she hastily curtsied and hurried away. Aomine had given him a bored look.

“Couldn’t you have waited five more minutes before interrupting, Kagami? I hadn’t enticed a ‘yes’ from her sweet lips yet.”

“Don’t you ever grow weary of playing the pervert?” Kagami had asked in disgust.

Aomine just laughed cynically.

“What else is a man supposed to do when everything comes so easy to him and no one can beat him at anything? I have to find a way to fight off the boredom, don’t I?” He had then fixed an amused look on Kagami. “But, I see you are as much of a prude as ever, Kagami. Tell me, have you ever sampled the pleasures between a woman’s legs?”

Kagami refused to rise to Aomine’s provocation, used to his cousin’s vulgar jibes, even though they hurt. Especially that one. When Kagami just stared at him, Aomine raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Forgive me, I know you are as innocent as a newborn lamb, well at least in  _that_  respect. Though,” a wicked glint came to his eyes, “the way you were watching  _Kise_  wasn’t very innocent at all.”

Kagami had stiffened, but managed to ignore the taunt.

“Actually, I have come to speak with you about Kise.”

“Oh, and what did you wish to say about our oh-so-delectable governess?” Aomine asked, lazily picking at one ear with his pinkie.

“I want you to stay away from her,” Kagami said in a firm, even voice. “She doesn’t deserve to become one of your temporary playthings.”

Aomine had looked at him in disbelief and then exploded into laughter, doubling over with great, loud guffaws.

“I fail to see the humor in anything I said,” Kagami said curtly, hating it when Aomine laughed at him.

“No, you wouldn’t,” Aomine wheezed, lost in the grips of his amusement. Still snorting, he straightened and wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. "Rest assured, Kagami, Kise is definitely  _not_  to my taste.”

Aomine had paused for a moment then, and seemed to reconsider something.

“Although, something  _different_  every now and then might not be bad. Though I do have you around for that.”

Not giving Kagami a chance to respond, Aomine had continued.

“You really should heed your own warning, though, Kagami. Kise may not be the  _woman_  you think her to be.”

Sauntering off, Aomine had left him with those cryptic words. The police had arrived soon after and the dead body had been recovered from the ruins. Kagami had barely made it back in time for dinner and, as he had expected, Kise had not come down. It made him worry, and though he wasn’t one to cheer people up, he had racked his brain desperately, trying to come up with something that might raise Kise’s spirits. He had finally lit upon the idea of singing for her. He didn’t even know if she liked music, and it was embarrassing to reveal himself like that, but he took a gamble anyway. The look in those golden brown eyes when Kise had come in let him know it had been a good decision.

Now, however, Kise just seemed tormented. Kagami pushed away from the piano and went around to her. As he had done at the old ruins, he pulled Kise into his arms, pushing away his embarrassment at such a bold act.

“Try not to think about it,” he murmured softly into her hair, absently noting her rich, exotic scent.

Kise himself was surprised when Kagami jumped up and came to him. Even more so when the other man embraced him.  It took a moment for his mind to register the statement Kagami had made. Kagami still thought Kise was upset about the events of the earlier afternoon. If only the other man knew how wrong he was!

Two, opposing desires were torturing Kise right then. One was to say “the hell with this mission” and abort it, getting far away from Kagami before he irreparably hurt the other man. The other was to get as close as possible and say “damned with the consequences.” To his horror, with the heat of Kagami’s body seeping into his, he felt his own begin to stir.

He pulled shakily back, but still in the embrace, and made the mistake of looking into Kagami’s face. His eyes fell to the other’s lips. An overwhelming urge hit him to kiss those lips, ravish them with all of the pent up feeling inside him. He actually saw the image in his mind. Saw him grabbing the man’s spiky, red head, holding it steady while he plunged his tongue over and over into the warm, moist depths. While he nibbled, licked, and conquered. The heat in his body spread. His cock lengthened and hardened, the tip pressing damply against the silk of his undergarments. He was about to embarrass himself because even the long folds of the dress wouldn’t be able to hide the erection for long.

Jerking away completely, he gave Kagami his back and worked to gain control of his unruly body.  _For God’s sake, Kagami didn’t even know he was a man_!

“Kise?” Kagami said his name uncertainly.

Kise took a deep breath, but didn’t turn around.

“Thank you for inviting me to listen to your singing. It was beautiful and calming.” He conjured a light laugh. “I find myself quite hungry at the moment, however, since I missed dinner. I think I’ll go to the kitchen and see if I can scrounge up something to eat.”

“Actually,” Kagami cleared his throat, “I sort of um fixed you something already. I might not look it, but I’m a pretty good cook.”

When Kise remained silent, he said hastily, “It is not much, just some sandwiches and strawberry tart for dessert. I have tea here, too.”

Kagami’s kindness was killing him, feeding the ever growing ball of guilt eating at him. His cool persona that had served him on other missions was completely absent, and the real Kise Ryouta wanted to fall to his knees and beg Kagami’s forgiveness. After a brief struggle with himself, he turned back and met Kagami’s clear, reddish-brown eyes.

“That would be great, thank you.”

Kagami broke into a relieved smile. “Awesome! It’s right over here— _oof!”_

In his excitement, Kagami had apparently forgotten the piano was behind him. He turned and plowed right into it, catching a particularly  _vulnerable_  part of his body on the corner.  His face turned a rather interesting shade of blue and a string of swear words poured from his lips.

A strangled laugh bubbled in Kise’s throat, but he coughed to cover it, the tension instantly draining from him.

“Ouch, I am sure that must sting something awful,” he said in sympathy.

Kagami, who had been curled over in pain, straightened with a wince.

“You have no idea,” he mumbled, his voice an octave or two higher than normal.

_Don’t be too sure of that_ , Kise thought drily. He’d been kneed in the crotch before. The one time he’d gotten drunk and tried to kiss Kuroko by mistake came to mind and he shuddered.

An embarrassed flush rode Kagami’s cheekbones as he walked (limped) over to the table where a covered dish rested. He picked it up and brought it to Kise.

“You can take this back to your room. I’m sure you will be more comfortable eating there than here. Just leave the dish outside your door when you are done and one of the servants will come by and get it later.”

Kise accepted it with a smile.

“Thank you, Kagami. I am grateful for you going out of your way for a simple governess like me.”

“It’s not because you are the governess of my cousin’s child that I did this,” Kagami blurted out. “Actually, Kise, I think I may be, well, um, I think I might l—.”

“Don’t!” Kise said loudly, not letting the other man finish that sentence.

Just like that, all of the previous tension returned.

“But—,” Kagami tried again, having screwed up all his courage for this moment, but Kise shook his head sharply.

“I am not worthy of the words you may have been about to say.”

“Of course you are, Kise!” Kagami denied hotly.  “You are intelligent, smart, amusing,” his ears turned red, “beautiful. Anyone would like you.”

“I’m not the person you think I am. If you knew the real me, the only feelings you would have toward me would be hatred and disgust.”

Kagami’s eyes widened at this echo of Aomine’s words. “That’s not true. I could never hate you or look at you in disgust.”

Kise gave him a small, sad smile.

“I’m afraid it  _is_  true, Kagami. Thanks again for this,” he held up the plate, “I think I will return to my room now. Good night.”

Kagami watched Kise go, confused and a tiny bit hurt at that reaction to his almost confession.  He’d never confessed to anyone before, well not to a woman or someone who might actually reciprocate his feelings. A dark shadow filled his mind, but he thrust it away. No use of thinking of that bastard! Instead, he just stared at the door for a long time after Kise went through it, thinking he had probably rushed things, but that’s just how he was. When he saw something he wanted, he just went right after it. He should have known that wouldn’t work in this kind of situation. It certainly hadn’t before.

In the hall, Kise sagged against the wall, pulse unsteady. Was this punishment for his myriad sins? He had never felt guilty before, had never felt anything before, simply seeing the methods he used as a means to an end. Now, he felt too much, and didn’t know what to do. He considered leaving right then after all. Kuroko could send someone else down to handle the mission. Two things kept him there. He still needed to find out how Aomine knew his identity, and something inside him rebelled violently at the thought of not seeing Kagami again. Pulling himself together, he took his plate and headed back to his room. He needed to eat and replenish his energy for his confrontation with the Earl. He would have to put everything else to the side until after that

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was half past two that night. Kise crept along the darkened hallway, careful to muffle the sound of his footsteps as he walked. In all of his previous excursions through the manor’s secret passages, he had found a door he couldn’t open no matter what he tried. After he had become more familiar with the house, he had realized the door led to the Earl’s bedroom.  Of course Aomine would know the secrets of his own estate, and would take steps to make sure anyone else discovering them couldn’t find their way into his room. This meant Kise could not be as stealthy as he wanted. He was going to have to enter Aomine’s bedroom right through the front.

He didn’t carry a candle to light his way, not wanting to draw undue attention. Kise was, however, dressed in his women’s clothing just in case he was caught. He figured he would claim he couldn’t sleep and had decided to check on Satsuki without disturbing anyone else, but became lost in the dark instead. The excuse sounded plausible to him. He wondered if Kagami would believ—no! He had to stop thinking of the other man. Thoughts of Kagami kept intruding, but he continued to knock them aside. He could not afford the distraction they were causing.

It didn’t take him long to reach the Earl’s bedroom. Pressing his ear against the door, he listened for several minutes. When he was sure he hadn’t heard so much as the creak of a floor board or the rustling of bed sheets, he lifted his skirt and opened the pouch he had strapped to his thigh over his stockings, stockings he hated with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns.  He pulled two items out. The first was special oil he used to lubricate the hinges of the door in order to prevent them from squeaking. Putting the oil back, he grabbed his dirk, pulling it from its sheath and gripping it tightly.

Closing his eyes, he went completely still. All his senses focused inward until the very dangerous man he really was swam to the surface. Eyes bright, he crouched down to the floor and reached up for the handle. Inch by unhurried inch, he opened the door until there was just enough room for him to squeeze through. He slid forward on his belly, and pushed the door closed just as slowly as he had opened it. Staying silent and motionless, he lay there until he was sure he had not disturbed Aomine.

With painstakingly slow movements, he crawled across the floor to the bed. Once there, he eased up silently. His eyes had somewhat adjusted to the dark, and he could make out the lump that was the Earl’s body under the bedding. As quick as a cat, he leaped onto the bed and held his dirk to the Aomine’s head.

“Don’t move,” he ordered softly, pressing on the dagger just enough to show he was serious.

Well, it  _should_  have been the Earl’s head he was threatening, only it wasn’t. His body had just communicated to his brain that the thing under him was definitely not human when a voice spoke out of the shadows.

“Let me repeat that to you. Don’t move, Kise Ryouta.”

The command was accompanied by something that sounded alarmingly like the hammer of a pistol being cocked.

Kise froze.  _Crap!_  Why hadn’t he considered the possibility he might be walking into a trap? He had no excuse for his lapse in judgment, other than he had actually let his personal issues dull his normally sharp mind.

There was another sound, a scraping one this time, and an oil lamp illuminated the room. He turned his head to face that direction. Aomine was sitting quite relaxed in a chair opposite the bed, and amused smile on his face. The pistol in his left hand and the sword in his right were at odds with the elaborate, silk brocade dressing gown he wore.

“Drop your little knife, there” the Earl pointed his sword at the dirk the other man was holding.

Kise’s hand tightened reflexively on the handle, but the cold look in Aomine’s eyes made him drop it over the side of the bed.

He sat back, watching the Earl warily. The bigger man simply smiled again.

“Really, I almost fell asleep waiting for you to finally make your move, Kise. Though, I admit, I did not expect you to waltz right in through my bedroom door. The window or … the secret passageways would seem more your style.”

The knowing expression in the man’s face stated he clearly knew Kise had been traipsing all through the hidden walkways.

Gritting his teeth, Kise snapped, “There’s no way to get to your stupid window, and the secret entrance to your room is locked as you already well know!”

“Ah, so it is,” Aomine replied easily.

Kise clenched his fists on his thighs.

“Who…no, the better question would be,  _what_  are you?” he asked stiffly.

Aomine shrugged.

“I am but a simple nobleman trying to enjoy life to the fullest.”

“And a monkey’s ass doesn’t have hair on it,” Kise snorted in disbelief.

Pretending to be shocked, Aomine lifted both his eyebrows.

“My word, such filthy words coming out of such a sweet looking mouth.”

“Don’t say that kind of crap to me!”

Aomine stood up.

“It is not wise to antagonize someone when they are pointing a weapon at you,” he mused lightly. “I would think Kuroko’s ‘ _La Belle Dame sans Merci_ ’ would know that by now.”

Kise sucked in a breath.

“How do you know that name?” he hissed.

Aomine simply shrugged again .

The only ones who should have, who  _could_  have, known that awful appellation were the other members of Miracle Generation, because they were the bastards who had jokingly stuck Kise with the name. And Aomine knew Kuroko’s name, too.

Carelessly tossing his pistol in the chair he had just vacated, Aomine came toward the bed. Kise tensed, his gaze fixed on the other’s cool eyes instead of the sharp-edged weapon now pointed inches from his chest.

With the candlelight casting sinister shadows across his face, and with the sword held aloft in his hand, Aomine bore an uncanny resemblance to a fearsome, dangerous pirate. Kise didn’t realize he had spoken the thought aloud until Aomine blinked and then threw back his head, roaring with laughter.

“I was beginning to wonder if you really were equipped to work for Tetsu, but it appears your instincts are somewhat reliable.”

 “What does that mean? I want you to tell me how you know all these things!”

“Now, now. You really aren’t in a position to make demands at the moment, are you?”

Aomine pressed the blade against Kise’s chest. Kise went rigid, preparing to lash out with his foot. He didn’t expect what the Earl did next. With a quick flick of his wrist, Aomine slashed down with the cutlass and popped the top button of Kise’s dress off. With round, surprised eyes, Kise watched the small object tumble through the air and hit the floor. The Earl had picked off another button before Kise jolted out of his shock.

In an acrobatic move, he flipped backwards, legs tangling briefly in the skirt of his dress, and faced off against Aomine from the other side of the bed.

“What do you think you are doing?” he hissed, body crouched in a defensive stance.

“Why, I simply wanted to verify whether you actually had tits or not,” the other man answered baldly. “It seems a shame for someone as beautiful as you to actually be a man.”

“I …don’t … have … breasts,” Kise enunciated forcefully, hating the blush that crawled up his neck.

“Pity. With that hair and those pretty eyes, I am sure you would be good for a hot fuck.”

Aomine’s tone was mournful. Kise almost let his temper get the better of him, but he used every ounce of his willpower to rein it in. The ass was toying with him, and he didn’t like it one damn bit.

Slowly straightening, dropped his arms to his side and stared the other man in the eye.

“I think you have no intention of actually harming me, just as I am beginning to think you have some connection to the people I work for. Now, either you are merely a bastard who enjoys messing with people, or is there a reason for this play you have forced me to act in tonight?”

Laughing again, Aomine lowered the sword and shook his head. “My friends would say it the former, but really I was simply bored.”

“I can’t believe you actually have friends,” Kise muttered and then asked cautiously, “Do you work for Kurokocchi, too?”

“Ugh, hell no,” Aomine shivered dramatically. “Why would I give Tetsu more leverage over me? Besides, it is much too boring simply prancing about dreary old Teiko chasing after petty criminals.”

Kise noticed how Aomine called Kuroko by a shortened version of his first name, but then the insult he’d just been given sank in and he stiffened. He did more than just chase down petty criminals! Something in the way the Aomine had spoken, in the words he used, suddenly clicked.

Eyes narrowing, Kise said slowly, “You don’t work for the Kurokocchi, but you know all about our agency, myself included. The disdain in your voice when you mentioned ‘prancing about dreary old Teiko.’ You work for Himuro.”

The last was not a question, but a statement. Aomine flashed a grin and gave a deep, mocking bow.

Everything fell into place. Lord Himuro, the Foreign Secretary. Just as the Emperor managed, through Kuroko, a network of spies used to handle problems on the home soil, Himuro had created a secret organization of spies to protect the Empire’s interests abroad. Kise had never met any of Himuro’s agents, at least until now, but their exploits were legendary among the Miracle Generation.

“You probably  _are_  a damn pirate after all,” he muttered,

Aomine put his finger to his lips. Walking back over to his chair, he picked up his pistol and threw himself down with a sigh.

Now that much of the tension had drained out of him, Kise wanted to sit down, too. However, the only place available was the bed, and he was definitely  _not_  comfortable sitting there.

“Did you come back to investigate the disappearances of the young women in Touou?” he asked, wondering if maybe Kuroko, knowing who the Earl actually was, had pulled the other man in on the investigation and just had not told him.

“Not hardly,” Aomine gave him a dark, disgusted look. “The whereabouts of a few women who didn’t have sense enough to stay in their own damned houses doesn’t concern me at all, even if one of them  _was_  related to the almighty Emperor himself.”

_So, he even knows about that_ , Kise thought to himself. It seemed Himuro’s men were much better informed than Kuroko’s.

“Wait,” he thought of something else, “I can understand that you know of our agency, but how did you know  _me_  specifically?”

“We have files on all of you,” Aomine replied nonchalantly, “complete with dossiers and a nice, life-like little portrait. Yours doesn’t do you justice, by the way.”

That bit of information did not make Kise happy in the least.

“And why would Himuro feel the need to spy on Kuroko’s men?”

“’ _Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?_ _’_ ,” Aomine said softly.

It was Kise’s turn to raise his eyebrows. The Earl was actually quoting a famous philosopher? He didn’t seem the type.

“ _But who watches the watchmen?_ ” Kise translated the phrase.

“Precisely,” the other man nodded. “You men of the Miracle Generation are actually quite a talented, dangerous bunch. Should you fall into the hands of Teiko’s enemies, willingly or not, the information could prove deadly. We have memorized each of your files, down to the last detail, should we be called upon to … remove a possible  _problem_.”

A nice way of saying they would assassinate any man whom they deemed a threat. He wondered if Kuroko possessed such information on Himuro’s people and, if he did, had he shared with any of Kise’s colleagues.

He didn’t much care about that right now, however.

Eyes narrowing to mere slits, he asked in a deceptively quiet voice, “And, is that why you are here?”

“Have you done something to threaten Teiko, or fallen in bed with any of our enemies?”

The way he said “bed” was insulting. Kise wanted to fly across the room and strangle the man right then. He wasn’t used to being so rash. Aomine Daiki bothered him, in a different way than Kagami did, but still something about the other man struck a nerve deep inside him.

“Of course I haven’t!” he nearly shouted, but his body went into “fight or flight” mode again.

Aomine saw his reaction and raised his hand in a placating gesture.

“Sorry, sorry. Something about you makes me want to tease you.”

Kise just glowered at that.

Sighing, the other man said, “Well, I guess there’s no hope for it; I’ll tell you why I am home at this particular time. It really is just coincidence that you happened to be here, although Tetsu had sent me a note asking if one of his men could temporarily use my estate as a base of operations.”

That answered one of Kise’s questions.  _Kuroko_  did in fact know Himuro’s men.

“Actually,” Aomine continued, and his voice was a bit strained, “I was ordered home prematurely from the mission I was on.”

“Was your identity discovered?” Kise asked, a bit curious despite himself now that he really felt the Earl was no longer a threat to him, at least for now.

“Well, not my identity, per se,” the man gave a small chuckle, “but rather my bare ass was discovered climbing out the window of a room belonging to a certain Pasha’s favorite concubine. I was pulled out of the country before it could turn into a full-fledged international incident.”

“You think that’s funny?” Kise asked incredulously. Aomine really  _was_  a pervert. 

“Well, it certainly wasn’t at the time, with little Daiki here,” he patted his groin, “flapping in the wind as I dodged the Pasha’s wrath. But, looking back on it now, I do see the hilarity in it.”

The image Aomine’s words conjured caused Kise to give a surprised shout of laughter.

Cocking his head, the Earl looked at Kise thoughtfully.

“Your voice is quite attractive as well. Are you sure really are not a woman?”

The hopeful tone in the man’s voice, along with the insulting question, wiped the smile off Kise’s face.

“Even if I were a woman,” he snapped, “you would be the last man I would ever consider!”

He spun on his heel, preparing to stomp away, but the Earl’s voice stopped him.

“Ah, but maybe someone like Kagami would be more acceptable, then?”

Only a slight tremor down his back betrayed the impact those words had on him.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he replied stiffly.

“Don’t you?” the other man taunted softly.

Ignoring him, Kise walked to the door. He hesitated when he got there, however.

He waged a brief internal battle and asked without turning around, “Are you going to tell Kagami the truth about me?”

“I think…,” Aomine gave a long pause, long enough to test Kise’s nerves, “not. It is much more entertaining this way. Besides, I’m the one he will run to when you break his heart.”

Kise closed his eyes in relief, not really getting the meaning of Aomine’s last statement. His hand was turning the handle when the Earl called out to him, “Come see me again if you get lonely or if you are curious about being with a man _, Miss Kise_. I think, if it is with you, I could manage to produce an erection. I wonder if Kagami could say the same.”

Not bothering to respond to those crude statements, Kise opened the door and exited the room. He looked down, struggling to come to terms with the wild emotional ride he had been on tonight. He noticed the bodice of his gown was gaping open where Aomine had cut the buttons off. The top of the silk padding he had under the dress was peeking through. Throwing a mean look at the Earl’s door, he gathered the edges of the bodice together and turned to go back to his room, but his steps stuttered to a halt.

Standing there, watching him with pained, disillusioned eyes, was Kagami himself.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Kise stared back at Kagami, heart beating frantically.

“Kagami, I—,” he faltered for a second, “it’s not what you think.”

“Isn’t it?” Kagami responded bitterly.

Kagami’s eyes raked over him, taking in the disheveled hair (courtesy of his backward leap off the bed) and the missing buttons on the dress.

“No, this is…,” Kise’s protest trailed off.

What could he say? His mind could not come up with a single, believable excuse to explain his appearance, especially after just coming out of Aomine’s bedroom.

Kagami looked through him, as if he wasn’t there, and started to walk past him.

“Kagami, wait. Please!” Kise’s tone sounded desperate, even to his own ears, but he simply could not allow Kagami to leave while thinking so ill of him.

The other man ignored him, however, and kept walking.

Kise lost it. The whole night had been one emotional upheaval after another, and he’d had enough.

Throwing out his hand, he grabbed Kagami’s arm and jerked him around. Kagami uttered a sound of surprise that turned into a grunt when Kise thrust him against the wall.

“I said  _wait_ ,” Kise growled, sounding completely unlike himself.

While Kagami was taller and a bit heavier, Kise was still strong enough to restrain him. He held the redhead immobilized between his own body and the wall.

“Kise, what are you doing?” Kagami asked in shock.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips nervously, and the thin thread of Kise’s common sense snapped. He did what he had wanted to do earlier in the Music Room. Plunging his hands into Kagami’s hair, he slammed his mouth over the other man’s.

Kagami’s lips were open in astonishment, allowing Kise to thrust his tongue deep inside. The kiss was hot, voracious. He swept in like a conqueror, exploring and tasting the rich, sweet flavor of Kagami’s mouth. Tendrils of desire branched out through his body. Reason completely left him, and he surrendered to instinct.

Of course, Kagami resisted at first. He pushed against Kise’s shoulders, but Kise didn’t allow the other man to deny him. Flicking his tongue repeatedly over Kagami’s, Kise was both enticing and demanding. Under his expert tutelage, Kagami eventually succumbed and mindlessly returned the kiss. It was clear to Kise that Kagami was not very experienced in kissing. It wasn’t an issue. Kise, himself, was an expert. He caught Kagami’s bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling and sucking. His tongue twined around Kagami’s, and he sucked on it as well until he coaxed it into responding. The touch of that tongue sliding almost shyly into his mouth drove Kise to the edge.

The kiss grew wild, intense. Flames of lust burned through his veins. Dragging a hand from Kagami’s hair, he moved it downward, settling it on Kagami’s chest. Two things abruptly brought him to his senses. One was the low,  _masculine_  moan Kagami released into his mouth. The other was the stark realization there was no soft mound of flesh beneath his palm, but hard, toned muscle. Both were cold, vivid reminders of Kagami’s gender.

Springing back in disbelief at what he had done, he panted harshly and tried to calm his distraught mind  _and_  body.  He glanced up at Kagami. Even in the dark, he could see the tutor’s lips were wet and swollen from the force of his kiss. He felt like running off to the deepest, darkest hole he could find and burying himself in it.

“Is this what you did with Aomine?” Kagami asked in a hurt, uneven voice.

Kise’s moment of self-pity went right out the window.

“No, I did not!” he shouted.

Wincing at his own loudness, he repeated in a quieter tone, “No, I did not.”

Turning to look up and down the hall for witnesses, he reached over and seized Kagami’s hand. Forcefully pulling him along, Kise opened one of the doors in the hall. He shoved Kagami inside and followed the other man in. He had been in this room before, during his nightly jaunts through the house, and he knew it was empty. Walking over to a table, he lit the lamp there. Turning around, he faced Kagami, whose eyes were a little too wide at the moment.

“Sit,” he ordered, jabbing a finger at the bed.

Clearly out of sorts, Kagami just looked confused at the command.

“Sit!” Kise roared, briefly wondering what all his friends who knew him as a laughing, happy-go-lucky sort of man would say if they could hear him now.

Body unconsciously responded to the authority in that voice, Kagami sat gingerly on the rose-tinted coverlet.

Kise ran a hand through his blond hair, and began pacing agitatedly across the floor. He had momentarily forgotten about the missing buttons on his dress, but Kagami’s eyes drifting down to where a hint of white silk showed reminded him. Pulling the edges together, he grumbled under his voice in exasperation.

“ _Dammit!.”_

“Kise?” Kagami’s voice was questioning now.

Noisily sucking in a gulp of air, Kise made an abrupt decision. Kuroko would skin him for what he was about to do, but so be it. Glancing back at Kagami, he caught the other’s gaze with a piercing, golden stare, and held it.

“I didn’t come here to simply be Lady Satsuki’s governess.”

Kagami’s eyes clouded.

“You are going to say you came to be Aomine’s lover as well, aren’t you?” he asked lifelessly.

Kise threw up his hands.

“No! I did not! Let people finish what they are saying before you jump to conclusions!”

Kagami’s expression would have been comical at any other time, but right then Kise was in no mood to appreciate it.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose in an attempt to summon patience, he spoke again.

“I have absolutely no mental, physical, empirical, or an any other type of ‘al’ interest in Lord Aomine Daiki.” A small lie, but no matter how brutally attractive the man was, Kise had no intention of buying what he seemed to be selling, especially not as confused as he was about Kagami. “Just get that through your thick skull,” he continued, “or I am going to hit you!”

The threat was said with utmost seriousness. Kise’s eyes were sparking and his blond hair was almost crackling with ire. Kagami swallowed loudly and nodded. The knot in Kise’s shoulders eased slightly.

“Good,” he said curtly. “As I was saying, my real purpose here was not to act as Lady Satsuki’s governess. You have only been here a few months, but I am sure you heard about the four women who disappeared from Touou over the past year.”

Kagami nodded again, slowly this time, seemingly afraid any other action would call down the fiery wrath of Kise back upon his head. Which was fine by Kise. The less Kagami spoke, the better. If he wanted to get through this without losing his nerve, he needed to hurry. “What you probably do not know, however,” Kise started pacing again, “is that one of the women is actually a distant relative of a fairly important politician.”

Kise didn’t give Akashi’s name. It was too dangerous to bandy the Emperor’s name about lightly.

“Because the local police have been unable, or unwilling, to thoroughly investigate this matter, a certain … organization decided someone else should get involved. That someone is me.”

Searching Kagami’s face, Kise tried to garner the other man’s reaction to his words. What he found was bewildered disbelief. Well, it was to be expected.

“You’re saying you are some sort of … undercover investigator?” his tone was disbelieving.

Not that Kise blamed him. Women weren’t exactly given such tasks in their current male-dominated society.

“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying,” he said calmly.

“But that’s crazy!” Kagami jumped up from his sitting position on the bed. “If these disappearances are really the result of foul play, then it would be much too dangerous for you to—.”

He wasn’t able to finish the sentence because Kise was suddenly on him, tumbling him back onto the bed. Kise had unthinkingly left his dirk in the Earl’s room, but he didn’t need a weapon to deal with someone as defenseless as Kagami. In a quick, seamless motion, he ended up with his knee digging into the other man’s chest and his thumbs pressed dangerously over Kagami’s windpipe.

“I think I told you before, I am no delicate flower,” he murmured in a flat, deadly whisper. “I may look like this, but rest assured I have the skills needed to take down anyone foolish enough to threaten me.”

Kagami stared up at him, a sort of terrified awe on his face, and said weakly, “I-I see.”

“Well, then,” Kise replied briskly.

He removed his hands from Kagami’s neck and sat back.

“Because all of the women were servants of some kind, and because each one of them was a young … beautiful woman, I was dispatched. In case my investigation yielded no results, I was to act as bait to lure the perpetrator out.”

Kise had stumbled over the word “beautiful” and actually reddened a little. He had more or less just admitted he was picked for the mission because of his looks. It was horribly embarrassing.

“I see,” Kagami repeated, blinking up at him.

“Anyway,” Kise hastily went on, “the reason I had you take me to the old temple was because one of the women vanished from there. I wanted to look for possible clues. I hadn’t thought I would actually uncover a dead body in the process.”

“You really didn’t want to look at plants?” Kagami looked confused at the revelation.

Lips twitching, Kise said, “No.”

“Oh,” the other man grunted, but then the rest of Kise’s statement sunk in. “Oh! You think the corpse we found is one of the missing women?”

“I do,” Kise answered. “I found a piece of evidence at the scene that matches something I found in Suzuki Ai’s room in the mayor’s mansion.”

“When did you visit the Mayor’s house?” Kagami murmured absently, his mind evidently trying to comprehend everything he had just been told.

“I snuck out one night last week on one of the Earl’s horses,” Kise shrugged inelegantly. “It was easy getting into the Mayor’s estate. The man’s security is laughable.”

“You left the house unescorted, at  _night_ , and broke into the Mayor’s home?!” Kagami’s looked shocked.

Kise had to cough to cover up a laugh.

“Yes, well, it had to be done, didn’t it? I certainly couldn’t waltz up to the Mayor and politely ask him to let me search his house, could I?”

“Still,” Kagami huffed, “that was a stupidly dangerous thing to do!”

Kagami’s tone was severe. Kise ducked his head in mock contrition, but his eyes twinkled. Telling Kagami the truth, or at least some of it anyway, had been a relief and he was now able to find humor in the situation.

It was quiet for a moment, until Kagami abruptly spoke.

“Uh, Kise, I think you can move now,” the statement sounded strangled.

Kise looked at Kagami’s face. It was the color of an overripe tomato. The man’s eyes were fixed on Kise’s thighs, which had been more or less straddling his chest ever since Kise moved his knee. The dress had ridden up, and the ruffled silk of Kise’s undergarments was revealed. Feeling an answering blush on his own face, Kise scrambled back. In a nervous gesture, he smoothed down the lines of the dress.

Kagami stood as well. They both avoided looking at the other’s face. An uncomfortable silence lingered on the air. After a moment, Kagami cleared his throat and spoke.

“I still find it hard to believe an attractive young woman such as yourself would work at something so dangerous.”

Ignoring the little burst of happiness at hearing Kagami call him “attractive”, Kise answered the statement quickly, not wanting to Kagami to dwell too long on that particular conundrum.

“It takes all sorts of individuals to defend Teiko and her people.”

“I suppose,” Kagami didn’t sound entirely convinced, but something else apparently occurred to him.

Lifting his head, Kagami fixed a steady look on Kise’s face and said evenly, “None of that explains why you were in Aomine’s room or why you look like that.”

He waved a hand at Kise’s bodice, which was once more gaping open. Here came the tricky part. Though Kise had revealed a part of his own secret, he was almost positive the Earl wouldn’t be too pleased if his cousin learned the truth about  _him_. He decided a partial truth would be the best way to go.

“It turns out Aomine knows my employer,” Kise explained, hoping his words sounded believable. “He must have seen me at some point in the past. The Earl was understandably curious as to why I was in his house, masquerading as his daughter’s governess. He wanted to … frighten me into revealing the truth.”

Outrage colored Kagami’s face now.

“That asshole! How dare he do that to you?! Even if he was mistrustful of you, that is no way to treat a woman.”

Kagami marched toward the door. Kise had the uneasy suspicion the other man was headed off to confront Aomine and defend Kise’s honor.  He rushed at Kagami, putting his hands on the tutor’s chest to stop him.

“Wait, Kagami.”

He didn’t want Kagami talking with the Aomine until he had another chance to speak with the dick himself.

“I won’t wait,” Kagami countered angrily. “My cousin has always been a devil, but this time he has gone too far!”

Kagami tried to step forward, but Kise pushed him back again.

“Aomine didn’t do anything to me. I swear,” Kise cried out. “He just popped the buttons off to rattle me. He wasn’t after my body or anything, I promise.”

In truth, Kise’s didn’t exactly believe that statement himself. He remembered the look in Aomine’s eyes and the man’s parting words.  _That_  possible problem would have to be dealt with later. Right now, he had to make Kagami listen to him.

“I showed you I could defend myself, didn’t I?”

Kagami looked embarrassed at the reminder of how easily he had been knocked flat on his back, but he nodded.

“Then, do you not trust me after all?” Kise injected a note of sorrow into his voice and lowered his lashes.

He didn’t want to use such methods on Kagami, but he had no other choice at the moment.

“No, that’s not it!” Kagami exclaimed, and lifted his hands to place them on Kise’s shoulders. “That’s not it,” he said again, softly this time. “I do believe you. I just … are you sure he didn’t do anything to you? Because I really don’t think I like the thought of him touc—.”

His mouth slammed shut, the realization of what he was about to reveal flashing through his eyes.

Kise’s pulse sped up, racing feverishly. He felt dizzy from Kagami’s  _almost_  confession, even more than the one earlier that night.

“He didn’t do anything, I promise,” he repeated earnestly.

Standing this close to Kagami, the other’s scent enveloped him. His senses responded to that scent, excited by it. His eyes fell to Kagami’s lips, and suddenly he simply  _had_  to taste them again. His previous promise not to get close, his words to Kagami that he should stay away or get hurt, they all flew right out the window. He leaned in.

“I promise,” he said for a third time, whispering the words against Kagami’s lips.

His eyes fluttered shut as he settled his mouth gently over Kagami’s. The kiss this time was sweet, a soft melding of their lips. Kise’s mind screamed at him,  _What are you doing, you fool?! He’s a man, a man who thinks you are a_ woman _!_  His body didn’t care, and told his mind to piss off. He slid his arms from Kagami’s chest and wound them around to encircle the other man. His hand flattened on Kagami’s back, pulling him closer.

As delicate as a cat, he lapped at Kagami’s bottom lip. In response, Kagami parted his mouth, and Kise slid inside, taking the lead. Kagami let him. The other man opened his mouth wider, seduced by the talented, languid sweetness of Kise’s own lips and tongue.

Soon, however, the slow and gentle caress simply wasn’t enough for either of them. Kise tightened his hold. The kiss grew more aggressive, more heated. As he was used to doing with his endless stream of girlfriends, he slid his knee between Kagami’s legs. Normally, in that position, he would grab the woman’s hips and move her back and forth so that she was riding his knee until she was wet and insensible for his cock. Kagami was man, though. Kise’s knee didn’t meet the soft, yielding flesh he was used to, but a hard, distended bulge. When his knee brushed against it, Kagami shuddered.

“Kise,” he moaned into Kise’s mouth.

The husky sound shot straight to Kise’s own throbbing arousal. Not stopping to think, he pulled his left hand from Kagami’s back and reached down to cup the other man’s erection, right through his breeches.

Kagami trembled, and broke the kiss.

“Kise, we have to stop,” he gasped, voice strained.

Under his hand, Kise felt Kagami swell, enlarging even more. He pressed down and felt it twitch.

“I don’t want to stop,” Kise replied, his own voice deeper than usual.

Lost to the strange madness overtaking him, he dropped to his knees. The dove-gray dress flared out around him as he sank to the floor. Kagami gazed down at him with hazy, startled eyes.

“What are you doing, Kise?” he asked unsteadily.

“This,” Kise murmured.

With deft, nimble fingers, he unfastened Kagami’s pants and pulled his cock free. Kise had been told on more than one occasion that he had a mouth made for sin, and he was about to prove it. Kagami finally realized his intent and grabbed Kise’s head just as his mouth descended.

“D-don’t. I can’t do this,” he rasped.

The flushed, weeping tip in front of him, however, told Kise not only  _could_  Kagami do this, his body  _wanted_  to do it.

“I think you can,” Kise whispered and closed the distance to suck the head of Kagami’s erection into his mouth.

The flesh was smooth, salty. Kise explored the underside with his tongue. Using every trick taught to him by Akashi's courtesan, he proceeded to pleasure Kagami with reckless urgency. As he had seen on that fateful night when he had watched Kagami pleasure himself, Kagami was a large man. Even with all the skills he possessed, skills he had never wanted until now, he couldn’t take it all into his mouth. Lifting his hand, he curled it around the shaft. He began bobbing his head, and his hand moved in concert, ensuring more of Kagami’s flesh could be encompassed at once.

Kagami’s own hands were still on Kise’s head, but they were no longer pushing him away. Instead, they tangled in his hair as Kagami succumbed to the sensations Kise was rousing in him.

Kise looked up, and his burnished gaze met wide eyes that were soft and dazed with pleasure. The sight enflamed him. He sucked harder, faster. His hand stroked up and down Kagami’s rigid length in quick, sensuous movements. The wet, slurping sounds from the act filled the room, along with Kagami’s heavy panting. Kise head the hitch in the other man’s breathing, felt the tension strumming though his body, and knew from experience Kagami was close.

Kagami knew, too.

“Stop,” he moaned in a low, rough voice. “Stop, or I am going to cum, Kise.”

Kise held fast. In the past, he had hated being forced to perform this intimate act on another man, but he wanted it with Kagami. He wanted to drink the other’s sweet and bitter essence down his throat.

“No, Kise!” Kagami cried and took a step back, pulling his cock out of Kise’s mouth.

It was too late, however. Before he could turn away, he erupted. His hot, musky cum splattered across Kise’s face. Kise just managed to close his eyes before he felt the fluid splash over him in long, thick spurts. He reached up and touched the milky wetness on his cheeks and chin. Opening his eyes, he tilted his head back to look up at Kagami. With slow, deliberate movements he licked the semen from his fingers. Kagami’s pupils dilated. He opened his mouth to speak, but what he might have said was lost when another, amused voice spoke from behind them.

“Mm, that was quite a show. What do you do for an encore?”

“A-Aomine!” Kagami choked on his cousin’s name and clumsily stuffed his exposed flesh back into his pants.

Kise shot to his feet and whirled around.

“What are you doing here?” His pulse thundered in his ears.

Aomine leaned casually against the doorjamb, watching them with dark, heavy-lidded eyes.

“I was curious. I had heard you shouting outside my door earlier and figured you had run into Kagami here after you had left my room. He suffers from chronic insomnia, don’t you know, and often wanders the halls when he can’t sleep.”

Raising a hand to his mouth, Aomine faked an expression of horror.

“Oh, forgive me, I just let the cat out of the bag didn’t I?”

Kise gave him a mean look “I already told Kagami  _the truth_. He knows I am here to investigate the disappearances and that I was in your room because you are an acquaintance of my employer.”

The Earl lifted both his dark eyebrows in surprise.

“You told him the truth and he still let you suck his cock? I didn’t think Kagami had it in him.”

Kise shook his head sharply and tried to communicate with his eyes to Aomine that he definitely had not revealed  _that_  particular detail to Kagami, but his attempts were in vain.

“What do you mean by that, Aomine?” Kagami stared at the other man.

Either not understanding, or deliberately ignoring, Kise’s frantic motions, Aomine replied, “Why being attracted to  _other_  men, of course. Kise may be pretty, but he’s still a man when it’s all said and done.”

Kise closed his eyes, sagging in defeat at the stupid jerk’s revelation.

“Kise is a man,” Kagami said slowly. “I don’t understand.”

“Oh, what, you hadn’t told him?” Aomine asked in an obviously false attempt at  _sotto voce_.

“Of course I didn’t tell him, you jerk!” Kise fired back angrily, once again roused to burning anger by this man.

“Kise is a man,” Kagami repeated in disbelief.

Kise turned, a sick feeling in his stomach.

“Kagami, I can explain—.”

Kagami didn’t hear him, however. Face paling dramatically, his eyes rolled up and he collapsed backward. His head smacked against the floor, bouncing once from the force of the impact.

“Kagami!” Kise shouted and rushed to the other man’s side.

“Oooh, I bet that will give him quite the headache tomorrow,” Aomine said in a conversational tone.

Kise ignored him and looked down at the man lying pale and still before him. Kagami was breathing steadily, apparently having simply fainted from the shock. Kise brushed a messy lock of red hair out of the other man’s eyes and tried to tell himself everything would work out. His heart, however, was not so easily convinced.


	5. Chapter 5

He looked at himself in the silvered glass, wondering if anyone else would notice the dark shadows under his eyes. Kise would like to pass last night off as a dream, a nightmare really, but it wasn’t. After the shock had rendered Kagami senseless, Aomine had said it was cruel to leave his cousin on the floor. He hefted Kagami over his shoulder and left. Kise hadn’t tried to stop the man. He needed time to think, and he was sure he would be the last person Kagami wanted to see when the other man came to. Kise spent a sleepless night trying to find some way out of this debacle he had created. For once, his intellect failed him, and the only plan he could come up with involved groveling.

In all of the chaos, Kise’s mind definitely wasn’t on his mission. He did, however, manage to send a missive off to Kuroko regarding the corpse and the mysterious buttons. Though, he wouldn’t doubt it if Kuroko managed to hear the news before the letter arrived. The man’s information network was not to be taken lightly, especially since Kise now knew Kuroko and Aomine were in communication with each other.

Feeling tried and out of sorts, Kise headed toward the nursery. He was not in the mood to play nanny today to some little girl, but he had to keep up appearances. He was still on the stairs when he heard raised voices coming from the room.

“What do you mean, you sent Imayoshi and Satsuki away?!”

It was Kagami, and he was yelling. Kise stopped, his slippered foot hovering above the top step.

“It is just as I said,” Aomine’s drawling voice wafted out to him. “They’re on their way to that drafty old castle in Seiho. My grandmother has been after me for ages to send those brats up there, and this seemed the perfect time. I certainly couldn’t leave them to be exposed to the rampant debauchery going on around here, now could I?”

Kise tensed, anxious to hear how Kagami responded to the reminder of the previous night. What he heard made his mouth fall open in shock.

“Then they really shouldn’t be living under the same roof as you, should they?” Kagami retorted sarcastically.

“Ouch. That really hurts, Kagami.”

“Please,” Kagami’s tone was disgusted, “I know you too well to be fooled by your crocodile tears. And I am shocked you would send your children off alone, without their tutor or govern…”

Kagami didn’t finish the sentence, most likely remembering exactly who  _and_  what the governess really was.

“Well, you aren’t really a tutor are you?” Aomine asked silkily. “When your student is not only smarter than you, he runs rings around you, that really makes you nothing more than a freeloader, hmm? Especially since you refuse to pay your way through other means.”

“Dammit! I told you never to bring that shit up again! You’re the one who … forget it. I’m not the naïve person I once was. Go back to your whores or your drinking or whatever other disgusting pursuits you have and leave me alone!”

Their argument confused Kise, but he couldn’t use it as an excuse to hide out in the hall forever. Deciding it was now or never, he squared his shoulders and walked the last few feet to the nursery.

He was opening the door just as Aomine said, “Kagami, you really think badly of me, don’t you? You know, if you would only say yes all of that other stuff would just disappear.”

The Earl turned and spotted Kise as he entered. Wicked amusement danced in those dark eyes.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the lovely  _governess_  in the flesh.”

Kise paid him no heed, his attention focused completely on the redhead who had turned to stone at the Aomine’s statement.

Their eyes clashed. Kise’s heart stopped. Kagami’s chestnut eyes were filled with anger, disappointment, and hurt, but (miraculously enough) not disgust. Something to be thankful for at least.

Feeling more hesitant and uncertain than he had ever felt in his life, Kise took a step toward Kagami.

“Kagami, I—.”

“Don’t!” Kagami thundered at him.

He froze, taken aback by the vehemence.

“I do not want to talk to you, see you, or even breathe the same air as you right now,” Kagami continued acidly.

Kise was stunned by the uncharacteristic change in the other man. Had his duplicity done this?

Kagami glared at him, and marched toward the door. Kise tried to stop him by reaching out a hand, just like last night, but Kagami evaded him. Before Kise could guess the other’s intent, Kagami balled up his fist and slammed it hard into Kise’s solar plexus.

“I said,  _don’t!_ ” Kagami growled.

Doubling over in pain, Kise tried to catch his breath while simultaneously wondering again if that was really Kagami before him. Then, Kagami tried to open the nursery door and cold-cocked himself in the head with it. Rubbing his forehead, he tossed another look at Kise, part scathing and part embarrassment, and stomped out of the room.

“I’d say he is a bit angry with you,” Aomine blithely murmured.

“Fuck off,” Kise wheezed, breath slowly returning.

“I would rather fuck you,” was the almost hopeful response he received.

Kise whipped his head around to stare at the Earl. The look in his eyes threatened to bring the very fires of Hell on Aomine if the man kept it up. Massaging the spot where Kagami punched him, he shook his head, trying to reconcile Kagami’s behavior with the kind, clumsy man he knew.

“It won’t do you any good,” Aomine advised, accurately reading Kise’s mind. “You’ve gone and done it now. The Beast has awakened.”

“ _Beast?_ ” Kise didn’t follow.

“Yes, Kagami the Beast. That was the family’s nickname for him when he was a child. My loving cousin wasn’t always the sweet and  _nice_ ,” the word was said with revulsion, “person he is today.”

“What do you mean?” Kise eyed the Earl warily. The other man arranged his face into a mournful expression.

“I really do question Tetsu’s judgment. How could he send out an agent who doesn’t even investigate the background of the people he plans on living with for an extended period of time? It is simply amazes me.”

“Leave off the petty insults, and just say what you mean, you jerk!”

“I’m afraid I don’t answer to ‘jerk,” Aomine lazily scratched his nose. “Call me Aomine, or Daiki.” His voice deepened. “All my close … companions call me Daiki.”

Ready to pull his hair, Kise bit out, “ _Aomine_ , what did you mean by calling Kagami ‘the Beast’?”

A satisfied smile curved Aomine’s lips.

“There now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Kise glanced around wildly, searching for something to throw at the man’s head.

Realizing his peril, and smart enough to be a bit concerned, Aomine straightened and put some distance between them.

“I am assuming,” Aomine looked out the window as he spoke, avoiding Kise’s burning gaze, “that you are unaware that my cousin is actually a bastard. And I don’t mean in regards to his personality.”

“No, that would be you,” Kise muttered under his breath.

Luckily, Aomine didn’t hear him.

“My mother’s step-sister was married to a petty nobleman. The nobleman was not Kagami’s father, however.”

The revelation was a surprise. Kise had not known Kagami was illegitimate. He had to admit the news was somewhat shocking.

“I don’t understand why you are telling me this,” he said. “What does it have to do with your ‘Beast’ comment?”

“I’m getting to that,” Aomine’s tone was baleful.

Kise closed his mouth, but the urge to hit the other man was growing fiercer by the minute.

“Anyway, Kagami’s father was not actually that wimpy nobleman but a brute of a man who went by the name of Terrible Tatsuki Onadera.”

Eyes nearly pooping out of his head, Kise couldn’t believe he had heard Aomine correctly.

Aomine saw his expression and said drily, “I take it you have heard of him.”

_Heard of him?_ Of course Kise had bloody heard of him. Every pugilist worth his salt knew the legend of Terrible Tatsuki. In his twenty years of prize-fighting, Tatsuki never lost a single match, until the last one that put him in the grave. The man had been a monster. Huge, brutal, he could knock a man out with a single blow of his giant fist. Then he had taken a bad hit to the temple during his final, fatal fight, and died in the ring.  _He_  was Kagami’s father? Tatsuki Onadera had been a hard drinking, hard living womanizer. Kise’s mind boggled.

“Kagami looks a bit like him,” Aomine mused lightly, “the red hair and fierce eyes are just like Onadera’s. He  _also_  got the man’s temper. The reason Onadera was called ‘Terrible Tatsuki’ was not just because of his prowess in the ring, but because he had the tendency to fly into a rage at the least little provocation.”

Kise knew that as well. Even as a child, he would hear whispers of the fighter’s violent escapades. He just couldn’t make himself believe that beast of a man was really his Kagami’s father. Wait.  _Beast_. Aomine had called Kagami that.

“Are you saying Kagami is like his father?” he asked slowly.

Aomine shrugged.

“Not completely. However, as a child, he was constantly getting into fights. Not knowing what to do with him, my aunt sent him off for the summer to stay with Onadera. A mistake, of course. Kagami came back a cursing, wild, and very violent eleven-year old. My aunt stayed in her room weeping for a whole year afterward.”

He had to sit down. Kise fumbled for one of the chairs near him and fell into it. He thought of Kagami’s happy, excited smile. The gentle hunger in the eyes that had looked at him. The puppy-like clumsiness the other so often exhibited. Kise simply could not picture a Kagami who acted the way Aomine described. Though there had been hints here and there, moments when another servant made him angry or that time at Maji when Kagami practically murdered that Wakamatsu person with his glare.

“What happened to him?” Kise croaked out. “What made him change?”

“His mom’s death,” Aomine replied. “On her deathbed, she made him swear to be a better man than his father. She even guilted him into studying for the clergy, though he was already twenty-one years old. She had cancer but I think Kagami believed deep down it was his wild behavior that actually killed her. He became a completely different person, trying to prove to himself and his dead mother he was nothing like the man who sired him. The Beast was put to sleep.

Aomine walked over to Kise and leaned down over his shoulder.

“And you have gone and roused the Beast from his slumber,” the Earl whispered in his ear.

Kise shivered, stomach churning, not just from the words but from the feel of the man’s warm, moist breath. The man was an asshole and Kise readily admitted to himself he had a thing for Kagami, and yet … and yet there was something here, something he didn’t want to face.

“Want me to console you?” the question was murmured softly against his neck.

And was that—it  _was!_  The man actually  _licked_  him! The tongue snaked out again to touch his neck, and Kise shot his hand up, grabbing the offending organ between his thumb and forefinger. Sliding out of the chair without letting go, he yanked on it, pulling Aomine’s head down in the process. He just hoped his pounding heart didn’t betray him.

“I appreciate you telling me Kagami’s background, but the next time you try something like that,” Kise hissed, “I will slice your balls off and feed them to you. Do you understand?”

He pinched hard to emphasize his point.

“I unestanth,” Aomine mumbled.

Kise let him go, and wiped his fingers on his dress. Aomine stood, giving him a nasty look.

“I hope you are prepared to take responsibility for what you have done. And you still have your little investigation to complete, don’t you? Do you really have time to play around with other people’s feelings?”

“I wasn’t playing with him!”

“Ooh, it looked like you were  _playing_  with him quite eagerly last night,” Aomine’s smile was back, pleased to have gotten a rise out of the other man.

That was the last straw. Face burning in embarrassment at the reminder of how Aomine had watched him perform fellatio on Kagami, Kise picked up the chair he had just vacated and threw it at the Earl’s head. The man ducked esily, and it sailed into the wall where it splintered apart.

“I’m going to take that out of your salary,” Aomine said calmly, as if he hadn’t almost been decapitated by flying furniture.

“You don’t pay me!” Kise screeched.

“Ah, right,” Aomine shrugged and walked to the door. “Let me know what your next steps in your investigation are,” he called over his shoulder. “I think I will tag along. If nothing else, it will help me relieve my boredom. And, try not to tease Kagami too much. That’s my job, and I don’t like when people get in the way. Though, I am happy you managed to bring some of his original personality back. Being docile and quiet doesn’t suit him at all. ”

Without waiting for a reply, Aomine left, softly shutting the door behind him. Kise stood there, again feeling he was missing something, something important. Aomine taunted Kagami, but there was a note in his voice, a feeling in his words, that spoke of other things unsaid. It was unsettling.

Shaking it off, he hesitated, struggling with the desire to go find Kagami and make the man talk to him, and his duty to his mission. Duty finally won out, though it was close. It was convenient for him that Aomine had sent the children away. He went back to his room to change into his male clothing. A black rinse for his hair and dark spectacles for his eyes completed the transformation. He became “Kise Ryouma,” brother to Kise Ryouka, who had come to the countryside to visit his sister. In this form, he could roam around freely, searching the woods himself for evidence. He had been hesitant in using the disguise before in case Kagami bumped into him, but that worry was moot now. Waiting for Izuki to come seemed stupid, when he could finally move about freely.

Sighing, he went in search of Aomine. He would rather not take the man along with him, but he sincerely doubted the man would just give him a horse and wish him on his merry way.  _Crap!_  His life was a circus at the moment. He just hoped someone above or below him was enjoying it, because he sure wasn’t.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kagami stood in the humid stable, running the stiff bristles of a grooming brush over his gelding.  He’d rather be playing the sport he’d come to love in the short time since it had been invented, but the green sap hadn’t worked and their ball was still flat. He’d come here, instead. Being with the gentle animal soothed him, something he desperately needed at the moment. Horses weren’t like dogs. He got along with them just fine. Which was good, because the events of the last twenty-four hours had turned his world upside down, and he was still reeling. Finding out Kise was not just some sort of undercover agent for the government, but actually a  _male_  agent, had been shocking.

The budding happiness he had been experiencing turned to ashes in an instant. Kise had played him for a fool. The knowledge hurt but also made him unbelievably angry. Thinking of Kise brought back the memory of golden eyes filled with regret and sorrow, but he ignored the ache the image conjured.  Kise was a superb actor. The pain on that beautiful, treacherous face had surely been contrived. Kagami had to believe that. He had to believe Kise had been acting the entire time they had been together, otherwise he might just go crazy.

In the nursery that morning, Kagami had been struck again by Kise’s beauty when the other man, yes  _man_  he now knew, had entered the room. The anger he had focused on Aomine shifted to himself for still being attracted to Kise. Of course, his anger had turned toward Kise as well. The man had deceived him, had made Kagami  _fall for him_  knowing there could never be anything between them once he’d solved his case and ended his charade. The rage he had lived with as a child, sealed away all of these years by a promise to his mother, had flared to life. His body had already been in motion before he had a clear idea of what he was going to do. He had hit Kise.

Shame burned through him now as he reflected upon his action. He had lived his life trying to prove to himself that he really wasn’t a wild animal. Yet in a single, heated moment, he had resorted to using his fists. Once it was done, Kagami instantly regretted giving in to the impulse. In truth, it had taken all of his willpower to keep from running back to Kise’s side and assuring himself that the other was unharmed.  He hadn’t, but had left quickly before anything else could happen. To his relief, no other violent urges had arisen. In the end, he truly was  _not_  an animal.

He stopped brushing and pressed his head against the horse’s side. The horse whiffed at Kagami’s red hair, trying to comfort the human resting miserably against it. Kagami smiled slightly at the gesture. He lifted the brush and resumed grooming the gelding. He gradually became aware of the sound of someone approaching. Voices reached him. He froze, recognizing the speakers instantly. Kise and Aomine were headed toward the stable. Not ready to face either of them again, at least not this soon, he ducked down in the stall. He wasn’t exactly proud of himself for hiding, but he didn’t think he could deal with Kise right then.

“Quit being a pest! All I want is to borrow a horse for a few hours. I don’t need a chaperone,” Kise’s voice was sharp and angry.

“Come now, Kise, I would be a bad host if I allowed a guest to go off alone in the unfamiliar wilds of Touou Woods. What would I do if you became lost?”

Aomine's tone, on the other hand, was one of drawling amusement.

“I’m not your guest,” Kise was nearly shouting now, “and I won’t get lost!”

The stable door creaked open as the two men entered. Kagami hunched down further to avoid being seen.

“Hmm, whatever you say,” Aomine replied airily, “but regardless, you still owe me for letting you use my home as a base for your little investigation. Therefore, I will use you for a bit of entertainment.”

“Bullshit,” Kise gave a snort of disgust.

Kagami felt the corners of his mouth begin to turn up and forced them back down, frowning at himself. Now was not the time to be amused by Kise’s temper. He was still angry, still hurt by the other man’s deceit. It was just … just those sharp words in that musical voice did funny things to him, softened the edges of his fury and pain. He really didn’t understand it at all.

“If you don’t want me to assist you on your little jaunt, you could always repay me another way.”

Kagami’s back went up, recognizing the deepening in Aomine voice. It was the voice his cousin used when he had seduction on his mind. It was a voice he had experienced once, long ago. He pushed those memories away and almost jumped up, but forcibly restrained himself. Kise was no damsel in distress who needed protection from his bastard of a cousin. Still, it was a struggle to fight his body’s instinctual response. He dug his nails into his palms, needing the pain to help hold his feet in place.

“When I find the man responsible for the disappearance of four young women  _that_  should be payment enough for you.  Removing a dangerous criminal from your little piece of Toou is more than adequate recompense for your generosity, don’t you think?”

“No, I don’t think so at all,” Aomine answered, unfazed by the other man’s blatant sarcasm.

“What? Wait! You jerk, what are you trying to do?” Kise’s exclamation was accompanied by the sounds of scuffling.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to take your body as payment. I’ve only fucked one man before, but I don’t think I’ve lost my touch.”

“Not going to happen,” Kise yelled.

More tussling sounds drifted through the stable. Kagami had to look. He had to see what was happening. Peeking over the edge of the stall, he watched Kise duck and maneuver his body until Aomine was pushed back against the stable wall. Part of Kagami’s brain noted Kise was dressed in male attire and his normally golden hair was now black.  Even then, the man was still uncommonly beautiful. However, Kagami was more interested in the dirk Kise had pressed against Aomine’s throat. His eyes widened as he noticed a second weapon in Kise’s left hand, a weapon currently thrust threateningly between the Earl’s legs.

“I learn from my mistakes,” Kise declared dangerously.

“So I see,” Aomine responded dryly, lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“I will only say this once, so you better listen and listen well. Just because my profession forces me to don woman’s clothing, it does  _not_  mean I am a catamite! I am not attracted to men nor do I see then as bed partners. Remember that or I won’t be so gentle next time.”

To emphasize his point, Kise lifted the knife between Aomine’s legs, forcing the Earl to step up on his toes to avoid the sharp instrument.

“Duly noted,” Aomine murmured.

Kagami knew his cousin well enough to recognize the small hint of unease underlying Aomine’s words.  _Served him right!_  Kagami thought angrily. It was about time the man received his comeuppance for his philandering ways.

Kise looked into Aomine’s eyes for a moment before nodding curtly and stepping back. Aomine reached down and patted his groin, presumably to assure himself that his manhood was still intact. Relief at finding himself unharmed flashed across his face. He immediately schooled his features into his usual expression of boredom.  A snicker bubbled up in Kagami’s chest, but he forced it down. He had never realized how enjoyable it would be to see someone actually get the better of Aomine. Though Kagami was not aware of it, his gaze was warm and affectionate as he watched Kise turn and stomp toward one of the other stalls.

Aomine wasn’t quite finished, however.

“At the risk of incurring severe bodily harm,” he called out casually, “I do have to ask. If you have no sexual or romantic interest in other men, then what have you been doing these past few weeks with Kagami?”

Kagami saw Kise’s slender back stiffen. His own heart began to pound violently against his ribcage as he waited for then answer he suddenly needed to know as well. After several seconds passed, Kise slumped, hunching his shoulders as if to ward off a blow. He turned back to face Aomine, which gave Kagami a glimpse of his face. The stark emotion Kagami saw there made his breath catch in his throat.

“Kagami is …,” Kise paused, seeming to struggle to find the right word, “… he is special.”

Aomine dark eyebrows lifted quizzically.

“I can’t explain it,” Kise looked down at his feet. “I’ve seen the worst mankind has to offer. First in the War, and then during my time working for Kurokocchi. I have been around it so much that I wondered if the muck and mire was permanently engraved upon my very essence, even though I always smile and laugh and pretend everything is alright.”

The bleakness coloring Kise’s voice struck deep at Kagami’s heart. Hearing Kise had been in the War was a surprise. He himself had remained in Teiko because of his promise to his mother, but he had heard enough terrible stories to know the horror Kise must have witnessed there. The need to comfort welled up inside him. The desire to remove that blank, broken look from Kise’s face was overwhelming. Kagami was confused and disturbed by his own feelings

Kise lifted his head then, turning to stare out of the open stable door. Kagami could no longer see his face, but he didn’t need to, not with the raw emotion pouring out with Kise’s every sentence.

“It hasn’t been that long since I met Kagami, but it doesn’t feel that way. You know, I thought about what you told me regarding his father.”

Now it was Kagami’s turn to stiffen.

“But, I think all of you were mistaken in assuming he is anything like Tatsuki Onadera,” Kise continued, “Whatever fighting blood that runs through his veins, it is tempered by a gentleness, a decency that I have never seen in another man.. And being near him makes me feel  … clean. Not that I would expect you to understand.”

Kise trailed off, and shrugged jerkily. He turned, grabbed a set of horse tack, and walked over to the horse he had chosen. Aomine was silent for awhile, and then he pushed away from the wall to saddle his own stallion.

“It may surprise you to know that I understand more than you might think,” Aomine eventually broke the silence. “You really do like Kagami, don’t you?”

The statement hung between them for a moment.

“And if I do" Kise asked quietly. “I lied to him, pretended to be something I am not, and in the process hurt him. And then there is the inescapable reality that we are both men. My feelings are irrelevant.”

“I don’t know whether to pity you or envy you for actually still retaining the capacity to care given the nature of your, of  _our_  profession,” Aomine said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. “But there is only one thing _I_  truly care for in this world, besides my children, and I don’t think I will be handing him over so easily to you. That old saying ‘you don’t know what you have until it’s gone’ … I think I finally understand it.”

“What does that mean?” Kise sounded puzzled, but Kagami had an inkling of what Aomine was referring to, and it shook him. His cousin couldn’t be … no, that was over and done with long, long ago. Kagami didn’t need to, didn’t want to think about it. Not now, not with this thing with Kise running him around in circles.

“Nothing.  Just talking to myself,” Aomine answered, this time in his normal, lazy voice. “Oh well, let’s go see if we can catch your marauding abductor of young women. The sooner you solve this mystery, the sooner you can return to the delights of the Kaijo and put Kagami, along with your ‘irrelevant’ feelings, behind you.”

Aomine led his horse out. With a murmured, “I don’t believe it will be that easy,” Kise followed the other man out of the stable.

Kagami fell back against the straw-covered floor, shaken by everything he had heard. The anger and betrayal he had been feeling since the previous night was having difficulty staying alive in the face of Kise’s confessions. Truthfully, by the time Kise had finished speaking to Aomine, Kagami had already mostly forgiven the man. The attraction he felt for Kise flared to life once more. That wasn’t quite true. He had never lost the feelings. They had been simply buried for a time beneath the pain and anger.

Knowing he still had feelings for Kise left Kagami with a couple of burning questions. Could he forget about that dark secret of his past? Forget about the innocence he had lost at the hands of someone he loved beyond life itself only to suffer horrible betrayal? The questions were still preying on his mind as he saddled his horse. No matter what he finally decided, his heart would not allow him leave Kise alone in Aomine’s company for too long. With that single truth guiding him, he set off after the other two men.

 


	6. Chapter 6

They found the second body in a shallow grave by the river. It had been covered with rocks, which is why the police hadn’t found it before, but a spring storm had flooded the river, knocking over the rocks and revealing the body beneath. Still, it seemed strange that the police hadn’t discovered it, unless they really hadn’t looked at all.

Kise stared down at the remains, feeling sick and angry. Even Aomine was solemn, his mocking humor from before nowhere in sight. Hunching down, Kise carefully sifted through the bones and, sure enough, that same silver button as the other grave and the maid’s room. The killer either was cocky enough to think he would never get caught, or he just couldn’t help leaving something of himself behind to mark his work.

Holding the button up to the light, he showed it to Aomine. “Have you ever seen this button before?”

Aomine pushed away from the tree he’d been leaning against and took the button from Kise, turning it over and peering intently at the emblem on it. “It looks familiar, but I just can’t place it.”

“I can,” Kagami stepped out of the woods, startling Kise. Aomine just looked at him, one dark eyebrow arched.

“K-Kagami! Why are you here?”

“I followed you,” Kagami replied curtly. He gazed at Aomine and something undefinable passed between them. It made Kise uneasy, but then Kagami blinked and the moment was over. He strode over and took the button from Aomine. “This belongs to a priest. The robe they have to wear has buttons like these. They are used to fasten the collar to the robe.”

“How do you … oh, right, you said you studied to be a priest,” Kise stood up, brushing dirt from his hands.

“So, the murderer is a priest?” Aomine asked, walking to stand beside Kagami, so close their shoulders touched. Kagami frowned and tried to move away, but Aomine’s hand slipping under his shirt stopped him. Kise couldn’t see, and unless he wanted to make a big deal and let the other man know exactly what Aomine was up to, Kagami had no choice but to remain silent.

Evidently taking it as permission, Aomine’s thumb rubbed small circles at the base of his spine. He shivered and felt his face warm. Damn him! Damn him to hell and back! The reason he had been so upset at Kise hadn’t been just because he lied, just because he was male. No, it had been because of Aomine, the only other person, the only other  _man_  he had ever loved.

They had been young and stupid, bursting with sexual impulses, and they sort of just fell into a relationship. Well, he’d thought they were in a relationship. The first big-breasted girl that came along and batted her eyes at Aomine proved just how wrong he was. Shit, he didn’t want to think about such things, not here, not now, not with Kise just a few feet away. Kise, who was  _nothing_  like Aomine, and it made Kagami feel unbelievably guilty to know he cared for the other man while still harboring feelings for his bastard of a cousin.

“Maybe,” Kise was saying in response to Aomine’s question. “Can anyone else use these buttons?”

Grateful for the distraction, he shook his head and turned the button back over to Kise. “No. And there’s another thing. The color of the buttons indicate which area the priest is assigned to. For instance, gold buttons can only be used by priests in Rakuzan.”

“Hmm,” Kise pocketed the button. “Then, do you know which area uses silver buttons?”

Kagami had been dreading that question. “This area. Touou priests wear silver buttons. And there are only two priests in the whole province. Either Hanamiya Makoto or Hyuuga Junpei could be the killer.”

Kise didn’t look surprised. “I don’t know Hyuuga but, after having met him just one time, I wouldn’t put it past that Hanamiya. He gave me the creeps.”

“Yeah, I don’t like him, either.” Kagami agreed.

His voice sounded strained. Kise watched him, wondering if it was because someone he knew might be a murderer or if there was another reason. He saw Aomine standing almost on top of the redhead and it bugged him. There was a hint of what seemed to be smugness in his dark blue eyes. Kise didn’t understand it, he only knew it made him uneasy. He brushed it off, telling himself they were relatives with what seemed to be a cantankerous relationship. Aomine was probably messing with Kagami somehow. Still, it weighed on him.

Shaking his head to clear it, Kise turned around and headed toward the horses. “It seems I need to pay our priests a visit. Which one lives closest?”

“Hyuuga,” Kagami followed him, whistling for his own horse. “He lives down by the market. I’ll take you there.”

“No, you’re just a civilian. I’ll get directions to his house once I change back into my er,” Kise flashed Kagami an apologetic look, “disguise. The killer goes after women. I could spook him if I go like this.”

“I’m not a civilian,” Aomine interrupted, already hopping on his stallion. “I’ll come along and hide outside. This crazy man has already killed four women. He might take you out before you can subdue him.”

“I’m too good,” Kise snorted and mounted up, “he’ll never lay a hand on me.”

Aomine leaned back in the saddle, a wicked grin curving his lips.”Oooh, how  _good_  are you? Inquiring minds want to know.”

“Dammit, Aomine, cut that crap out!” Kagami jumped on his horse. “You know Kise isn’t a woman.”

“And you, of all people, should know I don’t discriminate.”

His words held a heat even Kise could feel. Kagami flushed. A picture began to form in his mind, and he didn’t like it, not one bit.

“Kagamicchi,” he called out sweetly. “I think you should come after all.”

Kagami’s uniquely shaped eyebrows drew together. “ _Kagamicchi_?”

Kise laughed, a melodic, tinkling sound that echoed across the woods. “Yes, I only give my friends that little suffix. Isn’t it cute?”

Ah, he was too cunning. Kagami blushed again.

“I, I haven’t said I’ll be your friend, not after all that lying and everything else.” Kagami squared his jaw stubbornly, but his eyes looked pleased.

Smothering a smile, Kise tightened his hands on the reins. His gaze met Aomine’s and there was a challenge there he could not mistake. He nodded and lifted his own chin.  _Bring it!_ he let his expression do the talking. Aomine answered with a feral grin. The game was on.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They ran by the Earl’s estate long enough to for Kise to wash his hair and switch back into his feminine garb, then the three of them went into town. After spending four hours with Hyuuga, faking interest in the priest’s toy soldiers while Aomine and Kagami hid in the bushes, Kise felt he could reasonably say the man was not their murderer. He just didn’t fit the profile.

“Ugh, if I had to stay in there much longer,  _I_  might have turned into a murderer,” he grouched as soon as reached the other men. “Who ever heard of a grown man being so enamored with a bunch of toys?”

“Well, I was about to kill someone if I had to stay crouching in those bushes another five minutes,” Aomine complained in response, but he didn’t sound all that disgruntled. In fact, he sounded pretty pleased with himself.

Kagami didn’t say anything at all, just avoided Kise’s gaze and straightened his suspiciously messy clothes. Kise was suddenly afraid something significant had happened while he’d been gone.

He couldn't know just how right he was. Something had definitely happened.

Unable to look Kise in the face, Kagami spent more time than necessary fixing his jacket, thinking back to the last few hours. The blond hadn’t even been gone five minutes before Aomine had begun touching him.

“What the hell are you doing?” he had hissed violently, unable yell and fight back like he wanted to. “You’re the one who broke up with me, remember?”

“I never broke up with you,” Aomine had denied while caressing Kagami’s ear. “You left me.”

“Because you slept with your teacher!”

“I was weak.”

“Yeah, well you are weak in the head now if you think you can just pretend it never happened.”

Aomine had grabbed his face, forcing him to meet those midnight eyes that used to make him go wild.

“I know I can’t, and I know I can’t change the past, no matter how much I wish I could. I wasn’t just weak, I was stupid.” He drew in a breath, and his face bore an uncharacteristic solemnity. “I was stupid, and scared. I mean, c’mon Kagami, we were sixteen. Sixteen! And I was in love with my cousin, my  _male_  cousin.  I freaked.”

Every ounce of pain he had felt during that long ago summer returned. “You ran away.”

“I, yes,” Aomine’s shoulders slumped. “I ran away. I was a bastard, I admit it. I even  married, but it was no good. It was no wonder she ran off with another man. Once I realized my stupidity, I always planned on getting you back, but then that damn Kise shows up, pretending to be a woman, and you had to go and fall for him, didn’t you?”

“How were you going to get me back? By sleeping with every woman you met? Good luck with that, asshole! I’m going around to the other side of the house. I don’t want to be with you right now.”

“Wait,” a desperate hand had clamped on his wrist, holding him in place. “I wanted to make you jealous!” The admission seemed to surprise Aomine as much as it did Kagami. He looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then sighed in resignation. “Yes, I wanted to make you jealous. When I slept with that girl, you didn’t yell or scream or hit me. Just looked at, no  _through_  me, like you didn’t feel anything at all. I couldn’t stand it.”

“Of course I felt something! But what was I supposed to do, throw myself at your feet and beg you not to cheat on me? Fuck that. I have too much pride to let you walk all over me.”

“I know that! And that’s one of the things I,” Aomine hesitated, “I love about you. Look, that first time was a mistake, a result of my own cowardice, but when you acted like you just didn’t care, I did it again and again, and even got married , hoping you would finally, finally hit me or kick me or anything, as long as you just looked at me again. But you never did, and I have my own pride. I couldn’t show how much I still wanted you.”

Kagami had lowered his head, nearly driven crazy by the words he had once so desperately wanted to hear. “Why, why now?” he’d asked hoarsely. “Why would you bring up all this now, when it’s too late?”

He’d glanced toward the house and the window where they could see Kise smiling and talking with the priest. Aomine followed his gaze. One of the hands on his Kagami’s moved down, and a thumb trailed across his bottom lip.

“Is it too late? You just met him, and for most of that time, you thought he was a woman.”

Struggling to think with Aomine touching him so gently, Kagami watched Kise talking animatedly with his hands. “I know but I think I—”

“—you think you could fall for him,” Aomine quietly finished the sentence for him.

Kagami nodded.

“And me? Do you still love me, Kagami, my wild tiger?” Aomine brushed his lips once, twice, the slight kiss achingly gentle.

Feeling as if he was being torn in two directions, Kagami couldn’t stop himself from nodding again. “Yes,” his voice was harsh. “God, I’m such a fucking idiot, but I still love you, you arrogant bastard.”

The weight of ten years seemed to just melt off Aomine’s face, and he looked like the happy, beautiful, young boy Kagami had fallen in love with.

“Thank you.” The silent whisper was uttered reverently, almost like a prayer. It had caused a lump to grow in Kagami’s throat.

“There’s still Kise,” he started to say, but Aomine shut him up with another kiss. His lashes fluttered shut.  He’d missed this, craved it during those long, long nights when he lay alone in his cold bed.

“It’ll be alright. I’ll, no we’ll work something out,” the other man said when their lips broke apart. Then he had kissed Kagami again, and again and again and again. Because Kagami wanted to believe it, because he wanted to trust that somehow everything would be okay, he’d let himself go, surrendering himself to the pleasure of the moment.

Now, however, he wasn’t sure about anything, not when Kise was staring at him quizzically and Aomine was back to his arrogant self.

“It’s too late to call on Hanamiya,” he finally said after a minute of awkward silence. “You probably should tell the police our suspicions, especially since now we are down to once suspect. I’m going to head back. I’ll see the two of you later.”

He didn’t stop to think it probably wasn’t the wisest thing to leave the two men alone, but then he couldn’t think at all right then, with both of them right beside him. Kagami needed time alone, time to sort things out.

Aomine and Kise watched him go. Once he was out of sight, Kise turned on the Earl.

“You’ve slept with him before, haven’t you?”

Stretching like he didn’t have a care in the world, Aomine smiled. “Shouldn’t you be worrying about catching a murder?”

Kise winced at the reminder, but he wasn’t going to let this go. “I know how to do my job, but I want an answer. You’ve slept with Kagami before, right?

Aomine sighed dramatically. “Guilty as charged.”

“And you love him?” He wasn’t sure about that one, but Aomine’s grin widened.

“Still guilty.”

Angry, Kise practically stamped his foot as he yelled. “It’s not fair! You have all this history and I’m just some person who lied to him. How can I compete?”

“Who said life is fair? And do you really want to compete? He is a man, after all.”

His eyes narrowed at that. “I don’t care about that anymore. I finally realized none of that stuff matters. And I’m not going to just give him to you.”

Aomine faced him. “He’s not yours to give.” His voice was scary quiet.

“But he wants to be,” Kise challenged him, having to believe it was true. Having found someone like Kagami, he didn’t want to give him up, not to anyone.

To his surprise, Aomine agreed with him. “You’re right, but he wants to be mine, too.”

“Then what do we do?”

Dark eyes studied him for a moment. “Come to my room tonight, say around midnight. I’ll play nice and even give you a present. We can talk about this then. You have the police to report to, remember?”

He didn’t wait for a response, just spun on his heel and move with long, confident strides to his horse.

“I don’t want a present from you,” Kise called out, not wanting Aomine to have the last word.

Aomine had it anyway. “You’ll want this one.” Not giving Kise a chance to respond , he got on his horse and rode away.

Kise stared after him, feeling confused and angry and wondering if Kagami was still mad at him, wondering if he had a chance at all with someone like Aomine in the picture. Those thoughts haunted him as he rode the short distance to the police building.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was closer to twelve-thirty. Kise had waffled back and forth about coming, but now he stood outside Aomine’s door. He hadn’t seen Kagami since coming back from the authorities, and that had been an ordeal itself. The head officer had been someone named Seto Kentarou and his sinister smile, freakish mole, and waxy hair had made the hair on Kise’s arms stand up. The man took the report, but the whole time he was looking at Kise with strange, black eyes. Kise had a horrible feeling, like he was stuck on a web with a carnivorous spider closing in on him. He had breathed a giant sigh of relief once he left the building.

Now, standing there before Aomine’s bedroom, he wondered if tomorrow this whole thing would be over. If they found evidence at Hanamiya’s that the man was the murderer, he would have no reason to stick around any longer. The thought made him sad and anxious. It seemed Kagami would probably be fine once he left, now that Aomine was declaring his intentions. Kise just didn’t know if  _he_  himself would be fine. Something told him he wouldn’t.

He started to knock on the door but a sound stopped him, the rhythmic slap of flesh hitting flesh, like the sounds he heard at Ironheart’s, only much too fast.

“ _Ngh_ , Aomine,” moaned a voice, Kagami’s voice. “W-wait. I wanted to talk to you, not  _ung_  not this.”

“We are talking,” Aomine responded huskily, “and  _ah god you’re the best_ it’s my favorite kind of conversation.”

He groaned, and the sound was so erotic, so sexual, even Kise was affected, and he shivered.

“D-don’t be a dumbass,” Kagami gasped in response.

Heart pounding, Kise touched the door. It wasn’t completely closed and swung open a few inches. He could see them through that small gap.

Kagami was bent over the end of Aomine’s bed, legs spread, muscles in his calves standing out in sharp relief. He was naked, every inch of his body exposed skin to Kise’s stunned gaze. Behind him, also naked, was Aomine, and he was fucking into Kagami’s body with hard, fast strokes, so hard the bed frame knocked against the wall. His lean, powerful, muscled frame looked right at home on top.

A slash of pain hit Kise hard in the stomach, but he felt something else, something that made him ashamed.

Sweat dampened Kagami’s hair, making it even spikier, and he threw his head back, pushing into Aomine’s thrusts despite his protests.

A dark, satisfied chuckle rumbled from Aomine’s lips. “You like this, don’t you Kagami? After all this time, you just can’t get enough of my cock.”

“Fuck you,” Kagami growled, then ruined it by moaning and arching his back.

Aomine leaned down and bit Kagami’s shoulder, licking at the tiny mark he made. “Do you think Kise would do this for you? Throw you down and fuck you?”

“S-shut up!”

But the flickering light from the bedside candle caught Kagami’s eyes right then, and the dazed, hungry look in those dark red depths seemed to say he liked the idea of Kise fucking him just like Aomine was doing. Liked it a lot.

The smart thing to do would be go back to his room, wait for tomorrow, and then ride away without looking back after he caught the murderer.

Kise guessed he wasn’t as smart as he thought he was.

He shoved the door open.

Kagami froze, his mouth falling open in horror. Aomine just smiled. “Oops.”

“K-Kise, this is  _aahhh_ ,” Kagami tried to speak but Aomine lazily rolled his hips, and no matter their audience, he couldn’t control his body’s response.

“Is this the present you had for me?” Kise lifted his gaze from Kagami’s flushed face to Aomine’s. “I have to say, it pretty much sucks.”

Aomine trailed his fingers up and down Kagami’s spine. “No. _This_  is the present,” he said and held out his other hand.

Kagami looked as surprised as Kise felt. “What are you saying, idiot?”

“I’m saying ten years is already too long to regret letting the person you love get away. I love you, Kagami, and you like Kise. And,” Aomine’s heated gaze settled on Kise’s groin, “it’s obvious Kise isn’t too bothered by our little show here. Besides, he made a declaration of war against me earlier, and I’m not one just to take that lying down.”

Kise gripped the door frame so hard his knuckles turned white. This was crazy.

“You're saying you want me to join you in some sort of ménage trois?”

“No,” Aomine wrapped his arms around Kagami’s waist and pulled the other man up, so his back was to Aomine’s front and his erection, long and thick and weeping, was presented to Kise’s glittering gaze. “I’m saying I won’t give Kagami to you, but I will share him with you, if that’s what he wants.”

He reached down and palmed Kagami’s cock, drawing another gasp from the redhead. Kise couldn’t look away. People called him beautiful, but right then, in that room, with pleasure stamped on his features and his body straining for relief, Kagami was the beautiful one.

“Is that what you want, Kagamicchi?” Kise asked in a hushed voice. He didn’t know if it was truly what he wanted, either, he only knew he couldn’t walk away.

Kagami held onto Aomine’s arm but he only had eyes for Kise. “I—yeah, I think I do.”

That’s all he needed to hear. He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

“Just know,” Aomine began to move again inside Kagami even as he spoke, “I’ll have your ass, too, later. Consider it payment.”

Kise felt his nipples peak and his body harden even more at that declaration. He had feelings for Kagami, but that wasn’t the only reason he was doing this. Aomine was getting to him, too.

“Payment for what?” His voice was a bit on the raspy side.

“For seeing this guy’s cute, sexy face.”

Kagami tried to scowl, but it was obvious he felt too good to get really mad.

And that’s how it began, their strange, three-way relationship.

At some point, they all moved to the bed. After what seemed like hours of touching and kissing and learning each other’s bodies, Kise ended up lying down on his back while Kagami rode him. It was the single most erotic experience of his life. Kagami was a wild and fierce lover, and Kise couldn’t stop himself from thrusting up hard and fast, burying himself deep inside the other man, over and over.

Aomine knelt beside them, coaxing Kagami’s lips onto his erection, teasing and stroking Kagami’s own rigid cock. Kise wanted to feel ashamed at how much the sight turned him on, but couldn’t.

Kagami  _was_  ashamed, had been from the moment he had given in to Aomine and Kise had walked through the door, but it only heightened his arousal. Kise was long and hard and incredibly hot inside him. It made his teeth ache with pleasure. He didn’t need much coercing when Aomine pushed against his mouth. He gladly opened, swallowing his other lover, his first lover, down with wet, slurping gulps. He hadn’t thought it would turn out like this, but now that it had, he felt amazing.

Together they moved and sighed, groaned and writhed. Aomine dominated them both, and they allowed it, for now.

Because it was the first time, pleasure came early and fast, rolling over them and dragging them into orgasm.

Later, gasping and sweating and feeling like he had run the length and breadth of Teiko in one single day, Kise leaned up on his elbow and looked down at Kagami, who was also panting, and Aomine who held him tight, like he was afraid the other man would disappear at any minute.

“What am I going to tell Kurokocchi?”

“Tell him you quit,” Aomine replied lazily. “If you don’t wanna do it, let me handle Tetsu. I’ve known him a long time, I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Kise wasn’t too sure about that, though he knew his friend would want him to be happy.

“Who is this Kurokocchi, or Tetsu, person?” Kagami frowned at being left out of the conversation.

Gold eyes met dark blue and a silent agreement passed between them. “No one you need to know,” they said in unison. Kagami was actually the kind of person Kuroko tended to go for. They didn’t need to throw another kink into the works.

“Tch.” Kagami grunted, but his lashes fluttered shut, the emotional and physical upheaval finally taking its toll.

Kise snuggled down next to him, and Aomine threw one, long arm over both of them. It felt strange, but in a good way, and Kise dozed off, a smile curving his lips.

***

They had one more trial by fire to go through, however. Literally.

Kagami woke with his throat stinging and the acrid scent of something burning in his nose.  He rolled over and then straight up. Flames were licking the bottom of the door and smoke poured through the cracks in thick, oily waves.

“Shit! Aomine, Kise,” he shook the other two. “Get up, the house is on fire.”

He hopped out of bed, recklessly tossing his clothes back on. Fully awake, Kise and Aomine followed suit.

Once dressed, Aomine headed straight for the door, and it took both Kise and Kagami to hold him back.

“Don’t be an idiot, Aomine! You can’t go through there! Look.”

They all gazed at the door, watching it warp and start to splinter, the paint bubbling right off.

Aomine cursed violently. “But it’s my house, dammit, my people!”

“I know,” Kagami touched his arm, “but you won’t help anyone if you get yourself hurt or killed. I don’t want to lose you, not again.”

He meant it.

Aomine didn’t look happy, but he nodded.

Kise looked around, spying the window on the other side of the room.

“We can get out that way! We’re only two floors up. It shouldn’t be too difficult to jump.”

The three of them shared a look and then ran for the window. The door exploded inward, and for one heart-stopping moment, it seemed like they were done for. Aomine had other ideas. Grabbing the other two, he jumped, crashing through glass and wood, taking one blue curtain with him.

They hung suspended in air for what seemed like eternity and then the ground hurtled up to meet them.

It was several minutes before any of them could speak.

“I think I broke something,” Kise wheezed, slowly getting to his feet.

Kagami stood as well, letting out a pained grunt when Aomine swept him up in a tight, bear hug.

“Thank god, you’re alright,” the Earl said fervently.

Wincing, Kagami hugged him back, just as thankful all of them had made it.

The house wasn’t so lucky.

The fire moved swiftly, eating everything in its path, making the night sky glow blood red.

Sakurai came running up to them. If he found it strange that Aomine was hugging Kagami, he kept it to himself.

“Lord Aomine, you made it out!”

Aomine eased away from Kagami, but he kept hold of the other’s hand. Kagami was too dazed by everything to care.

“What about the rest of the servants?” Aomine’s eyes flitted over to where his people stood huddled, watching the fire in horror.

“Somehow, they all got out.” Sakurai sounded amazed. “A couple of them are burned real bad and there are some other injuries, but everyone seems okay.”

The Earl slumped in relief. “That’s good.”

“I’ve already sent someone to town and several of the men are filling buckets in the river, but …” Sakurai bit his lip.

Everyone understood what he left unsaid. The fire had blazed too hotly too quick. No amount of water would save it now.

“At least the children aren’t here,” the steward tried to smile.

Kagami shared that sentiment and he could tell by the sudden tightening of Aomine’s fingers that he was just as thankful.

Kise moved up beside them, lightly touching their joined hands, but a glimpse of a pale, crazed face, peeking out from the trees on the west side of the estate made him draw up. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look through all the haze, and he suddenly recognized the man. It was the head of Touou’s police, Seto. Even from the distance, Kise could see the soot on the man’s face and the red can of gasoline in his hands.

“Kagami, Aomine,” he murmured in a low voice. When they looked his way, he nodded slightly toward the trees.

He figured they would formulate a plan, separate and sneak up on Seto. He figured wrong.

Aomine swore, Kagami shouted, and both of them took off, making a beeline for the suspected arsonist. Knowing there was no help for it, Kise followed them, breaking into a run, though it was hard to go all out with a dress hampering his movements.

They chased the man through the trees, pounding after him. He had a head start, but Kagami and Aomine knew the lay of the land better. Roots and rocks and hills that tripped Seto up they easily avoided. He looked back, probably to check how close they were, and that was his undoing. He missed the huge ditch rising up in front of him. He stumbled, feet flying out from under him, and went tumbling down the ditch.

When the other three crested the hill, they found him whimpering, leg twisted at an angle that should have been impossible.

Kagami didn’t hesitate. He jumped down and proceeded to beat the shit out of the man. Aomine finally pulled him off, only take up where he left off. Kise wanted to get a few hits in himself, but since he technically worked for the government, he couldn't just let them beat Seto to death.

“I think that’s enough, Aominecchi.” Yeah, Aomine had already become a  _cchi_  in his mind, too. “Let me question him.”

Aomine stopped, but got one more kick in for good measure. Kise knelt down and started to speak, but he needn’t have bothered. It all spilled out of Seto’s mouth in a crazed babble. All of it.

Seto wasn’t just an arsonist, he was the one responsible for the disappearances and murders. Hanamiya wasn’t the killer, though he was involved. The priest apparently had affairs with all the women. Seto had some sort of sick obsession for the man and killed all the women because Hanamiya had slept with them, leaving the buttons he had stolen behind as proof of his devotion. It was seriously messed up.

They all listened in horror as he described, in gruesome detail, what he had done to the women. At least Kise learned where the other two bodies were buried. Because the blond had visited the police building to give his report, Seto had snapped, deciding he needed to get rid of Kise before he got too close to the truth. That’s why he set the house on fire. Kise felt guilty at hearing that, but Kagami patted his arm and Aomine touched his back and he felt a bit better.

Once everything was revealed, they tied Seto up and dragged him back to the house, or what was left of it. The rest of the police were there. Not all of them seemed shocked to find their leader was a psychopath. They hauled him away with grim faces.

Hanamiya showed up, too, but one look at the dark expressions Aomine, Kagami, and Kise directed at him and he slinked away.

The fire was finally extinguished in the early hours of the morning. “I’m sorry about your house, Aominecchi,” Kise lowered his head.

Aomine thumped him and he looked up, finding the other man smiling tiredly back at him. “It’s fine, stupid. It’s just a house. There are other things that are far more important.”

Kagami nodded.

They were all dirty, sweaty, and exhausted.

“Let’s go into town. We can stay at Wakamatsu’s for the night and then move to one of my other homes tomorrow.”

Kise stirred at that. “How many houses do you have?”

“Six,” Kagami answered in disgust before Aomine could. “He’s not just a pervert, he’s a rich pervert.”

The blond had to smile. “Ah, actually, Kagamicchi, I’m kind of wealthy, too.”

Kagami looked back and forth between the two men and scowled. “You both suck.”

Unexpected laughter bubbled from Kise’s lips. “You don’t have to worry. We’ll always make sure to keep you clothed, and fed of course.”

Red eyes narrowed. “Only if it’s Maji burgers.”

Aomine chuckled, too, and Kise felt his heart squeeze. The night’s events had been horrible, but they would all be alright. He felt it down to the depths of his soul.

Kise had come to Touou to catch a murderer, and he had, but he’d found something else, too, and they were both walking beside him. It was enough to make a grown man cry, and he did, tough he made sure his two companions didn’t see it.

Feeling happier than he had in years, he grabbed Aomine’s and Kagami’s arms and laughed, his pure, sweet laugh that made the other two turn to look at him.

“At least all of those horrible women’s clothes were burned up in the fire.”

“Except the one you are wearing,” Kagami looked pointedly at the dirty, charred dress Kise still wore.

He faked a look of surprise. “Wah, I forgot I was still dressed like this. Maybe someone will take it off me when we get to the inn.”

There were two someones, actually, who were more than happy to help rid Kise of the dress, and he swore to never put on woman’s clothes again. Though, if his two lovers asked nicely, he just might reconsider.

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it. I'm sorry if you like Kirisaki Daīchi and I've ruined your fav characters. I needed a villain and they were just there in the anime. I'm also sorry I kind of short changed the mystery. I have been working on this story for long it just kind of got away from me. This fic is a monster so if you find errors or things that don't make sense, please gently let me know and I will fix them. I really need to find a beta.


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